Search

The aim of the present study was to investigate the morphological characteristics and pluripotent differentiation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs) in vitro and in vivo. Bone marrow cells were isolated from a rib fragment of an adult surgical patient, hBMMSCs were isolated based on plastic adherence and expanded ex vivo and phenotyping was performed. Pluripotent differentiation assays for adipogenesis, myogenesis and osteogenesis were conducted. Hematopoietic reconstruction of sublethally irradiated nude mice was performed by infusion of hBMMSCs. The gene expression profiles of early and late hBMMSCs were examined. The rate of CD31‑positive cells was 31.1% in passage (P)4 hBMMSCs and 18.6% in P10 hBMMSCs. CD105 and CD106 were expressed in 99 and 95% of P25 hBMMSCs, respectively. Lipid droplets appeared at day 18 post induction. For osteogenesis, palpable masses were grossly observed from day 35 post inoculation of hBMMSCs. Hematoxylin and eosin staining further revealed chondrocytes and bone tissues. For myogenesis, at day six post subcutaneous inoculation, hBMMSCs differentiated into myocytes and were positive for myoglobin and MyoD1. In irradiated nude mice reconstituted by hBMMSCs, the white blood cell count briefly decreased following irradiation; however, it gradually recovered. In the irradiated nude mice reconstituted with hBMMSCs, CD45‑ and CD34‑positive cells were detected 72 h post induction. Gene microarray analysis of P7 and P57 hBMMSCs demonstrated that 20 genes were upregulated >2 fold and 40 genes were downregulated >2 fold in P57 hBMMSCs. In conclusion, the isolated HBMMSCs possessed pluripotent differentiation potential and it was feasible and safe to use hBMMSCs within 30 passages.

Background: To detect dendritic cells (DC)in the peripheral blood and plasma concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to evaluate their relationship., Methods: The quantitation of DC in the blood was performed in 55 patients with NSCLC, 13 patients with pulmonary benign diseases, and 12 healthy volunteers by a novel flow cytometric assay. The concentration of VEGF in the plasma was measured by ELISA kit., Results: No significant difference was found in the levels of DC and VEGF between the patients with pulmonary benign diseases and healthy volunteers (P>0.05). In comparison with subjects of healthy volunteers and pulmonary benign diseases, the level of DC was significantly decreased, while that of VEGF was significantly increased in the patients with NSCLC(P < 0.05 to 0.01). The levels of DC and VEGF in the peripheral blood of NSCLC were closely associated with TNM stages and lymph node metastasis. However, no correlation was found among the levels of DC and VEGF and age, gender, cell differentiation and histologic classification. There was a negative correlation between the VEGF concentration and the DC counts., Conclusions: The decline of DC count in peripheral blood and the enhancement of plasma VEGF are remarkably related to the malignancy of NSCLC. And VEGF overexpression may be one of mechanisms of DC maturation and differentiation inhibition in patients with NSCLC.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of vascular endothelia1 growth factor (VEGF) on the hematogenous metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: The identification of lung cancer cells in the peripheral blood were carried out by cytological, immunohistocytologica1 and immunofluorecent stains respectively, following isolation of cytokeratin-expressing cells with magnetic activated cell sorting. The quantification of cancer cells in the blood was performed according to the established flow cytometric assay. The plasma VEGF was measured by commercially available ELISA kit., Results: The lung cancer cells in the blood, showing a remarkable nuclear polymorphism, expressed the epithelial marker cytokeratin and telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). These cells were stained positive by an NSCLC-specific monoclonal antibody S5Al0-2, but negative by antibodies against CD34 and CD45 antigens. Using the flow cytometric assay, 44 cases (28.6%) of l54 NSCLC patients were found to have cancer cells in their blood, with the incidence of positive cases correlated with the stage of disease. The plasma VEGF level was significantly increased in NSCLC patients in comparison with healthy individuals and patients with benign pulmonary diseases. This level was correlated with the stages of disease in patients with adenocarcinoma. In patiens with cancer cells in their blood, a higher level of plasma VEGF was related with an increased number of cancer cells., Conclusion: The plasma VEGF level is increased in NSCLC patients with approximate1y one fourth to have cancer cells in the peripheral blood. In these patients, increased VEGF level promotes hematogenous tumor metastasis, as indicated by a much higher number of cancer cells in the blood.