BackgroundSuccessful treatment of acute radiation syndromes relies on immediate supportive care. In patients with limited hematopoietic recovery potential, hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is the only curative treatment option. Because of time consuming donor search and uncertain outcome we propose MSC treatment as an alternative treatment for severely radiation-affected individuals.Methods and FindingsMouse mesenchymal stromal cells (mMSCs) were expanded from bone marrow, retrovirally labeled with eGFP (bulk cultures) and cloned. Bulk and five selected clonal mMSCs populations were characterized in vitro for their multilineage differentiation potential and phenotype showing no contamination with hematopoietic cells. Lethally irradiated recipients were i.v. transplanted with bulk or clonal mMSCs. We found a long-term survival of recipients with fast hematopoietic recovery after the transplantation of MSCs exclusively without support by HSCs. Quantitative PCR based chimerism analysis detected eGFP-positive donor cells in peripheral blood immediately after injection and in lungs within 24 hours. However, no donor cells in any investigated tissue remained long-term. Despite the rapidly disappearing donor cells, microarray and quantitative RT-PCR gene expression analysis in the bone marrow of MSC-transplanted animals displayed enhanced regenerative features characterized by (i) decreased proinflammatory, ECM formation and adhesion properties and (ii) boosted anti-inflammation, detoxification, cell cycle and anti-oxidative stress control as compared to HSC-transplanted animals.ConclusionsOur data revealed that systemically administered MSCs provoke a protective mechanism counteracting the inflammatory events and also supporting detoxification and stress management after radiation exposure. Further our results suggest that MSCs, their release of trophic factors and their HSC-niche modulating activity rescue endogenous hematopoiesis thereby serving as fast and effective first-line treatment to combat radiation-induced hematopoietic failure.

The biological relevance of extracellular vesicles (EV) in intercellular communication has been well established. Thus far, proteins and RNA were described as main cargo. Here, we show that EV released from human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-hMSC) also carry high-molecular DNA in addition. Extensive EV characterization revealed this DNA mainly associated with the outer EV membrane and to a smaller degree also inside the EV. Our EV purification protocol secured that DNA is not derived from apoptotic or necrotic cells. To analyze the relevance of EV-associated DNA we lentivirally transduced Arabidopsis thaliana-DNA (A.t.-DNA) as indicator into BM-hMSC and generated EV. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques we detected high copy numbers of A.t.-DNA in EV. In recipient hMSC incubated with tagged EV for two weeks we identified A.t.-DNA transferred to recipient cells. Investigation of recipient cell DNA using quantitative PCR and verification of PCR-products by sequencing suggested stable integration of A.t.-DNA. In conclusion, for the first time our proof-of-principle experiments point to horizontal DNA transfer into recipient cells via EV. Based on our results we assume that eukaryotic cells are able to exchange genetic information in form of DNA extending the known cargo of EV by genomic DNA. This mechanism might be of relevance in cancer but also during cell evolution and development.

The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in tissue regeneration is based mainly on the secretion of bioactive molecules. Here, we report that the radioprotective effect of mouse bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (mMSC) can be attributed to extracellular vesicles (EV) released from mMSC. The transplantation of mMSC-derived EV into lethally irradiated mice resulted in long-term survival but no improvement in short-term reconstitution of the recipients. Importantly, the radiation rescue was efficient without additional hematopoietic support. In vitro we show a protection by EV of irradiated hematopoietic stem cells but not progenitor cells using stroma-cell cultures and colony-forming assays. After systemic infusion into lethally irradiated recipients, labeled EV traveled freely through the body reaching the bone marrow within 2 hours. We further show that long-term repopulating Sca-1 positive and c-kit low-positive stem cells were directly targeted by EV leading to long-term survival. Collectively, our data suggest EV as an effective first-line treatment to combat radiation-induced hematopoietic failure which might also be helpful in alleviating myelosuppression due to chemotherapy and toxic drug reaction. We suggest the infusion of MSC-derived EV as efficient and immediate treatment option after irradiation injuries. STEM CELLS 2017;35:2379-2389 SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTRadiation as used in conditioning of patients prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is associated with severe side effects. Previous research has shown survival-promoting properties of mouse mesenchymal stromal cells in a model of lethal irradiation without support of hematopoietic stem cells. This phenomenon formerly was attributed to "paracrine" effects. In recent years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained increasing interest as mediators of intercellular communication based on their capability to transfer new information to sites of action without loss at physiological barriers. This novel data demonstrate that EV derived from mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells are the active component of these cells providing a radiation-protective effect. Results show that hematopoietic, long-term repopulating stem cells are targeted rapidly by the EV and thereby rescued from radiation damage. These results open a new line of treatment options for patients suffering from radiotherapy induced myelosuppression without the potential side effects of cell therapies.

Bovine follicles having a higher concentration of progesterone than estradiol in the follicular fluid can be considered as atretic. Since we observed previously that there was an inverse relationship between the follicular fluid estradiol to progesterone (E/P) ratio and the prorenin level, we have proposed that a high prorenin level may be associated with follicular atresia. The aim of the present study was to corroborate this hypothesis by including additional indices to distinguish unambiguously between atretic and nonatretic follicles and to compare the prorenin levels in these two groups of follicles. The present study included examination of more than 200 follicles in the follicular fluid of which we have measured steroid and prorenin levels. The results obtained show a highly significant negative correlation between the prorenin level on the one hand and the E/P ratio, estrogen to total androgen ratio, or estradiol concentration on the other hand. As a further criterion for atresia, we have examined the histological characteristics of the follicles by light and electron microscopy and have found that 90% of histologically characterized atretic follicles had an E/P ratio less than 1 and an average prorenin level four to five times higher than nonatretic follicles. Finally, when we determined the FSH-stimulated cAMP response and the aromatase activity, in terms of the ability to convert exogenous androgen to estrogen in granulosa cells isolated from individual follicles, we observed a markedly higher prorenin level in the fluid of follicles whose granulosa cells responded poorly to FSH and showed a low aromatase activity, compared to follicles whose granulosa cells responded strongly to FSH and contained high aromatase activity. In summary, follicles that were classified as atretic on the basis of a number of biochemical and histological parameters contained significantly higher prorenin levels in their follicular fluid than nonatretic ones. Thus, a high follicular fluid prorenin level is a valid indicator for follicular atresia in bovine ovaries. However, the reason for this increase in follicular fluid prorenin level and whether this increase is a cause or a consequence of atresia remains to be determined.

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In this study the primary objectives were to localize angiotensin-II (AII) receptors on specific ovarian cells and determine whether these receptors are regulated by LH. AII receptor analysis, carried out using membrane fractions prepared from isolated thecal, granulosa, and luteal cells from bovine ovary, revealed that [125I]AII-binding sites were present only on thecal cells. The Kd and binding capacity were determined to be 0.29 +/- 0.08 nM and 66.9 +/- 8.1 fmol/mg membrane protein (mean +/- SEM from three experiments, each with duplicate determinations), respectively. None of the peptides unrelated to AII affected the binding of [125I]AII. Unlabeled AII, saralasin, and AIII were equipotent (IC50, approximately 5 nM for all three peptides) in competing with the radioligand. However, the binding affinity for AI was less by almost 2 log units. Using AII receptor subtype-specific nonpeptide antagonists, Losartan [a selective antagonist for the type 1 AII (AT1) receptor] and PD 123319 [a selective antagonist for the type 2 AII (AT2) receptor], AII receptors on thecal cells could be classified pharmacologically as AT2-type receptors. The IC50 determined from the competitive binding inhibition experiments for the various unlabeled competing substances were 5 nM, 20 nM, 200 nM, and 200 microM with respect to AII, p-amino-phenylalanine-AII, PD123319, and Losartan, respectively. Thecal cells cultured in a serum-free medium also expressed AII receptors, which could be up-regulated by LH or 8-bromo-cAMP in a dose-dependent manner. The number of AII receptors on thecal cells nearly doubled when the cells were cultured in the presence of 100 ng/ml LH, with little change in their Kd value. This increase in the number of AII receptors was inhibitable by a protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide. In summary, we have demonstrated that in the bovine ovary, AII receptors belonging to AT2 subclass are predominantly expressed on thecal cells, and these receptors can be up-regulated by LH via a cAMP-dependent mechanism. Thus, the bovine thecal cells in primary culture can potentially become a useful in vitro system to study the mechanism of regulation of AII receptor induction as well as the so far unknown function of this class of receptor.

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We investigated the mechanism of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling in ovarian theca cells and observed that stimulation with this bioactive lipid markedly enhanced Thr/Tyr phosphorylation of the MAPK ERK1/2. Activation of ERK was transient, showing a peak at 5 min that declined thereafter, and was not associated with a concomitant nuclear translocation of the enzyme, suggesting that a cytosolic tyrosine phosphatase may be responsible for switching off the signal. Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced activation of the enzyme in the same cell system was more rapid (peaking at 1 min), sustainable for at least 60 min, and could be suppressed by prior treatment with either pertussis toxin or a noncompetitive inhibitor of Ras acceptor protein, manumycin A. This functional inhibition of either Gi or Ras failed, however, to affect the LPA-induced ERK-phosphorylation. Surprisingly, functional inhibition of Rho-GTPase, in C3-exotoxin-lipofected cells, markedly reduced LPA-stimulated phosphorylation of ERK, without affecting the EGF-induced stimulation of MAPK. Theca cells labeled with anti-LPA1/edg2-type antibody showed a distinct cell surface labeling, which is reflected in the expression of (LPA1)-type LPA receptors at both mRNA and protein levels. The findings indicate that LPA transiently stimulates MAPK ERK in LPA1/edg2-expressing theca cells and suggest an alternative mechanism regulating the activation of ERK that differs from the canonical EGF-Ras-MAPK kinase pathway.