title: Human endothelial progenitor cells rescue cortical neurons from oxygen-glucose deprivation induced death.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebral ischemia is characterized by both acute and delayed neuronal injuries. Neuro-protection is a major issue that should be properly addressed from a pharmacological point of view, and cell-based treatment approaches are of interest due to their potential pleiotropic effects. Endothelial progenitor cells have the advantage of being mobilized from the bone marrow into the circulation, but have been less studied than other stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, the comparison between human endothelial progenitor cells (hEPC) and human mesenchymal progenitor cells (hMSC) in terms of efficacy in rescuing neurons from cell death after transitory ischemia is the aim of the current study, in the effort to address further directions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro model of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) on a primary culture of rodent cortical neurons was set up with different durations of exposure: 1, 2 and 3hrs with assessment of neuron survival. The 2hrs OGD was chosen for the subsequent experiments. After 2hrs OGD neurons were either placed in indirect co-culture with hMSC or hEPC or cultured in hMSC or hEPC conditioned medium and cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At day 2 after 2hrs OGD exposure, mean neuronal survival was 47.9±24.2%. In contrast, after treatment with hEPC and hMSC indirect co-culture was 74.1±27.3%; and 69.4±18.8%, respectively. In contrast, treatment with conditioned medium did not provide any advantage in terms of survival to OGD neurons
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows the efficacy of hEPC in indirect co-culture to rescue neurons from cell death after OGD, comparable to that of hMSC. hEPC deserve further studies given their potential interest for ischemia.
authors: School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; Department of Neurosurgery, Galliera Hospital, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: susannabacigaluppi@yahoo.it.
authors: Susanna
authors: S
authors: Bacigaluppi
authors: School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy.
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Donzelli
authors: School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: De Cristofaro
authors: School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, DINOGMI, Genova, Italy.
authors: Nicola Luigi
authors: NL
authors: Bragazzi
authors: Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM/San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: D'Amico
authors: School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy.
authors: Arianna
authors: A
authors: Scuteri
authors: School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Tredici
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016923:Cell Death; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose
keywords: Cortical neurons; Endothelial progenitor cells; Indirect co-culture; Mesenchymal stem cells; Oxygen glucose deprivation