title: Mesenchymal stem cells reciprocally regulate the M1/M2 balance in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely studied for their applications in stem cell-based regeneration. During myocardial infarction (MI), infiltrated macrophages have pivotal roles in inflammation, angiogenesis and cardiac remodeling. We hypothesized that MSCs may modulate the immunologic environment to accelerate regeneration. This study was designed to assess the functional relationship between the macrophage phenotype and MSCs. MSCs isolated from bone marrow and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) underwent differentiation induced by macrophage colony-stimulating factor. To determine the macrophage phenotype, classical M1 markers and alternative M2 markers were analyzed with or without co-culturing with MSCs in a transwell system. For animal studies, MI was induced by the ligation of the rat coronary artery. MSCs were injected within the infarct myocardium, and we analyzed the phenotype of the infiltrated macrophages by immunostaining. In the MSC-injected myocardium, the macrophages adjacent to the MSCs showed strong expression of arginase-1 (Arg1), an M2 marker. In BMDMs co-cultured with MSCs, the M1 markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were significantly reduced. In contrast, the M2 markers such as IL-10, IL-4, CD206 and Arg1 were markedly increased by co-culturing with MSCs. Specifically, the ratio of iNOS to Arg1 in BMDMs was notably downregulated by co-culturing with MSCs. These results suggest that the preferential shift of the macrophage phenotype from M1 to M2 may be related to the immune-modulating characteristics of MSCs that contribute to cardiac repair.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Im
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Ra
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Cardiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea [2] Heart Research Center, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: 1] Research Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea [2] Heart Research Center, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Cardiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea [2] Heart Research Center, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Youngkeun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor