Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to various multipotent progenitor populations, which expand in response to cytokines and which ultimately generate all of the elements of the blood. Here we show that it is possible to increase the number of stem and progenitor cells in the bone marrow (BM) by suppressing the activity of NO synthases (NOS). Exposure of mice to NOS inhibitors, either directly or after irradiation and BM transplantation, increases the number of stem cells in the BM. In the transplantation model, this increase is followed by a transient increase in the number of neutrophils in the peripheral blood. Thus, our results indicate that NO is important for the control of hematopoietic stem cells in the BM. They further suggest that suppression of NO synthase activity may allow expansion of the number of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells or neutrophils for therapeutic purposes.

Nestin, a marker of multi-lineage stem and progenitor cells, is a member of intermediate filament family, which is expressed in neuroepithelial stem cells, several embryonic cell types, including mesonephric mesenchyme, endothelial cells of developing blood vessels, and in the adult kidney. We used Nestin-green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice to characterize its expression in normal and post-ischemic kidneys. Nestin-GFP-expressing cells were detected in large clusters within the papilla, along the vasa rectae, and, less prominently, in the glomeruli and juxta-glomerular arterioles. In mice subjected to 30 min bilateral renal ischemia, glomerular, endothelial, and perivascular cells showed increased Nestin expression. In the post-ischemic period, there was an increase in fluorescence intensity with no significant changes in the total number of Nestin-GFP-expressing cells. Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy performed before and after ischemia ruled out the possibility of engraftment by the circulating Nestin-expressing cells, at least within the first 3 h post-ischemia. Incubation of non-perfused kidney sections resulted in a medullary-to-cortical migration of Nestin-GFP-positive cells with the rate of expansion of their front averaging 40 microm/30 min during the first 3 h and was detectable already after 30 min of incubation. Explant matrigel cultures of the kidney and aorta exhibited sprouting angiogenesis with cells co-expressing Nestin and endothelial marker, Tie-2. In conclusion, several lines of circumstantial evidence identify a sub-population of Nestin-expressing cells with the mural cells, which are recruited in the post-ischemic period to migrate from the medulla toward the renal cortex. These migrating Nestin-positive cells may be involved in the process of post-ischemic tissue regeneration.

Oxidative stress is widely recognized as an important factor in the delayed wound healing in diabetes. However, the role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in this process is unknown. It was assumed that mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are involved in many wound-healing processes in both diabetic humans and animals. We have applied the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant 10-(6′-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) to explore the role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in the wound healing of genetically diabetic mice. Healing of full-thickness excisional dermal wounds in diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db−/db− mice was significantly enhanced after long-term (12 weeks) administration of SkQ1. SkQ1 accelerated wound closure and stimulated epithelization, granulation tissue formation, and vascularization. On the 7th day after wounding, SkQ1 treatment increased the number of α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells (myofibroblasts), reduced the number of neutrophils, and increased macrophage infiltration. SkQ1 lowered lipid peroxidation level but did not change the level of the circulatory IL-6 and TNF. SkQ1 pretreatment also stimulated cell migration in a scratch-wound assay in vitro under hyperglycemic condition. Thus, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant normalized both inflammatory and regenerative phases of wound healing in diabetic mice. Our results pointed to nearly all the major steps of wound healing as the target of excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production in type II diabetes.

The process of skin wound healing is delayed or impaired in aging animals. To investigate the possible role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) in cutaneous wound healing of aged mice, we have applied the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1. The SkQ1 treatment resulted in accelerated resolution of the inflammatory phase, formation of granulation tissue, vascularization and epithelization of the wounds. The wounds of SkQ1-treated mice contained increased amount of myofibroblasts which produce extracellular matrix proteins and growth factors mediating granulation tissue formation. This effect resembled SkQ1-induced differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblast, observed earlier in vitro. The Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGFβ)produced by SkQ1-treated fibroblasts was found to stimulated motility of endothelial cells in vitro, an effect which may underlie pro-angiogenic action of SkQ1 in the wounds. In vitro experiments showed that SkQ1 prevented decomposition of VE-cadherin containing contacts and following increase in permeability of endothelial cells monolayer, induced by pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF. Prevention of excessive reaction of endothelium to the pro-inflammatory cytokine(s) might account for anti-inflammatory effect of SkQ1. Our findings point to an important role of mtROS in pathogenesis of age-related chronic wounds.

It is shown that the novel mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1, (10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium) stimulates healing of full-thickness dermal wounds in mice and rats. Treatment with nanomolar doses of SkQ1 in various formulations accelerated wound cleaning and suppressed neutrophil infiltration at the early (7 h) steps of inflammatory phase. SkQ1 stimulated formation of granulation tissue and increased the content of myofibroblasts in the beginning of regenerative phase of wound healing. Later this effect caused accumulation of collagen fibers. Local treatment with SkQ1 stimulated re-epithelization of the wound. Lifelong treatment of mice with SkQ1 supplemented with drinking water strongly stimulated skin wounds healing in old (28 months) animals. In an in vitro model of wound in human cell cultures, SkQ1 stimulated movement of epitheliocytes and fibroblasts into the "wound". Myofibroblast differentiation of subcutaneous fibroblasts was stimulated by SkQ1. It is suggested that SkQ1 stimulates wound healing by suppression of the negative effects of oxidative stress in the wound and also by induction of differentiation. Restoration of regenerative processes in old animals is consistent with the "rejuvenation" effects of SkQ1, which prevents some gerontological diseases.