Over-expression of hepatocyte growth factor in smooth muscle cells regulates endothelial progenitor cells differentiation, migration and proliferation.
BACKGROUND
Endothelial repair is one of key events after vascular injury. The mechanisms by which hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may be responsible for re-endothelialization of injured blood vessel wall are poorly understood.


METHODS
Primary culture SMCs were transfected with pcDNA3.0-HGF followed by G418 selection, one of G418-resistant colonies in well was picked, propagated and used as donor cells for further experiments. HGF and VEGF expression in SMCs were detected with western blot and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Rat EPCs were cultured in untreated, pcDNA3.0 and pcDNA3.0-HGF transfected SMCs conditioned medium with or without anti-VEGF or exogenous recombinant HGF addition. eNOS, KDR and CD31 expression in EPCs was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or flow cytometry; EPCs migration and proliferation were measured by using a modified Boyden chambers and MTT assay respectively.


RESULTS
Abundant and stable expression of HGF was found in G418-resistant colony-derived SMCs. VEGF expression significantly increased in HGF transfected SMCs. Exogenous recombinant HGF (rHGF) markedly up-regulated eNOS mRNA expression in EPCs and promoted EPCs migration and proliferation, but no significant changes were found in KDR and CD31 mRNA expression. HGF transfection in SMCs was more effective than exogenous HGF for EPCs differentiation, proliferation and migration.


CONCLUSIONS
Over-expression of HGF in SMCs can be helpful for promoting EPCs differentiation, increasing EPCs migration and proliferation. It may be responsible for angiogenesis of arteriosclerosis lesions and useful for blood vessel tissue engineering.
Zhu
Guangxu
G
Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, XinQiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chong Qing 400037, PR China.
Huang
Lan
L
Song
Mingbao
M
Yu
Zhengping
Z
Wu
Xiaojing
X
Zhao
Xiaohui
X
Jin
Jun
J
Zhao
Gang
G
Chen
Jianfei
J
Yu
Siyong
S
D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000166:cytology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014162:Transfection; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor