Human mesenchymal stem cells are sensitive to abnormal gravity and exhibit classic apoptotic features.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of abnormal gravity on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Strong magnetic field and magnetic field gradient generate a magnetic force that can add to or subtract from the gravitational force. In this study, this is defined as a high-magneto-gravitational environment (HMGE). The HMGE provides three apparent gravity levels, i.e. hypogravity (μg), hypergravity (2g) and normal gravity with strong magnetic field (1g) conditions. After hMSCs were subject to HMGE for 12 h, the proliferation, morphology, structure and apoptosis were investigated. Results showed that the proliferation of hMSCs was inhibited under μg condition. The abnormal gravity induced morphologic characteristics of apoptosis cells, such as cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, nuclear chromatin condensation and margination, decreased cell viability, and increased caspase-3/7 activity. The rate of apoptosis under μg condition is up to 56.95%. The F-actin stress fibers and microtubules were disrupted under abnormal gravity condition. Under μg-condition, the expression of p53 at mRNA and protein levels was up-regulated more than 9- and 6 folds, respectively. The Pifithrin-α, an specific inhibitor of p53, inhibited the apoptosis and prevented the disruption of cytoskeleton induced by abnormal gravity. These results implied that hMSCs were sensitive to abnormal gravity and exhibited classic apoptotic features, which might be associated with p53 signaling.
Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Institute of Special Environmental Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
Rui
R
Meng
Hui-yun
HY
Xu
Sheng-meng
SM
Di
Dong-yan
DY
Shi
Ai-rong
AR
Qian
Jin-fu
JF
Wang
Peng
P
Shang
D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D018471:Hypergravity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018472:Hypogravity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D022502:Stress Fibers / Q000378:metabolism; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D052160:Benzothiazoles; D014404:Tubulin; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D014050:Toluene; C121565:pifithrin; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7