Impact of low oxygen tension on stemness, proliferation and differentiation potential of human adipose-derived stem cells.
Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been found adapted to a specific niche with low oxygen tension (hypoxia) in the body. As an important component of this niche, oxygen tension has been known to play a critical role in the maintenance of stem cell characteristics. However, the effect of O2 tension on their functional properties has not been well determined. In this study, we investigated the effects of O2 tension on ASCs stemness, differentiation and proliferation ability. Human ASCs were cultured under normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (2% O2). We found that hypoxia increased ASC stemness marker expression and proliferation rate without altering their morphology and surface markers. Low oxygen tension further enhances the chondrogenic differentiation ability, but reduces both adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential. These results might be correlated with the increased expression of HIF-1α under hypoxia. Taken together, we suggest that growing ASCs under 2% O2 tension may be important in expanding ASCs effectively while maintaining their functional properties for clinical therapy, particularly for the treatment of cartilage defects.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Jane Ru
JR
Choi
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Belinda
B
Pingguan-Murphy
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Wan Abu Bakar
WA
Wan Abas
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mat Adenan
MA
Noor Azmi
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Siti Zawiah
SZ
Omar
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kien Hui
KH
Chua
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: wansafwani@um.edu.my.
Wan Kamarul Zaman
WK
Wan Safwani
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D010100:Oxygen
Adipose-derived stem cells; Differentiation; Hypoxia; Proliferation; Stemness