Trophic effect of adipose tissue-derived stem cells on porcine islet cells.
BACKGROUND
Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs), which are widely known as multipotent progenitor cells, release several cytokines that support cell survival and repair. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ADSC-secreted molecules could induce a trophic effect in pancreatic islet culture conditions in vitro.


METHODS
We cocultured porcine islet cells with ADSCs using a transwell system for 48 h and evaluated the viability of islet cells. We also determined the concentration levels of cytokines and insulin in the supernatant of the culture medium. We used anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-interleukin (IL)-6 receptor antibodies to investigate the effect of VEGF and IL-6 on islet cells.


RESULTS
ADSCs improved the viability of islet cells in the absence of cell-cell contact (P < 0.05). VEGF and IL-6 levels in the culture medium increased when islet cells were cocultured with ADSCs (P < 0.05). Furthermore, inhibition of VEGF decreased the viability of islet cells (P < 0.05); however, inhibition of IL-6 did not affect islet cell viability.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that trophic factors, particularly VEGF, secreted by human ADSCs enhanced the survival and function of porcine islet cells.
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Shinichiro
S
Yamada
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan. Electronic address: mshimada@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp.
Mitsuo
M
Shimada
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Tohru
T
Utsunomiya
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Ikemoto
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Yu
Y
Saito
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Yuji
Y
Morine
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Satoru
S
Imura
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Hiroki
H
Mori
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Yusuke
Y
Arakawa
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Mami
M
Kanamoto
Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima, Japan.
Shuichi
S
Iwahashi
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013552:Swine; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000906:Antibodies; D003470:Culture Media; D007328:Insulin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Adipose tissue-derived stem cells; IL-6; Islet transplantation; VEGF