BackgroundMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and renal stem/progenitors improve the recovery of acute kidney injury (AKI) mainly through the release of paracrine mediators including the extracellular vesicles (EVs). Several studies have reported the existence of a resident population of MSCs within the glomeruli (Gl-MSCs). However, their contribution towards kidney repair still remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether Gl-MSCs and Gl-MSC-EVs promote the recovery of AKI induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in SCID mice. Moreover, the effects of Gl-MSCs and Gl-MSC-EVs were compared with those of CD133+ progenitor cells isolated from human tubules of the renal cortical tissue (T-CD133+ cells) and their EVs (T-CD133+-EVs).MethodsIRI was performed in mice by clamping the left renal pedicle for 35 minutes together with a right nephrectomy. Immediately after reperfusion, the animals were divided in different groups to be treated with: Gl-MSCs, T-CD133+ cells, Gl-MSC-EVs, T-CD133+-EVs or vehicle. To assess the role of vesicular RNA, EVs were either isolated by floating to avoid contamination of non-vesicles-associated RNA or treated with a high dose of RNase. Mice were sacrificed 48 hours after surgery.ResultsGl-MSCs, and Gl-MSC-EVs both ameliorate kidney function and reduce the ischemic damage post IRI by activating tubular epithelial cell proliferation. Furthermore, T-CD133+ cells, but not their EVs, also significantly contributed to the renal recovery after IRI compared to the controls. Floating EVs were effective while RNase-inactivated EVs were ineffective. Analysis of the EV miRnome revealed that Gl-MSC-EVs selectively expressed a group of miRNAs, compared to EVs derived from fibroblasts, which were biologically ineffective in IRI.ConclusionsIn this study, we demonstrate that Gl-MSCs may contribute in the recovery of mice with AKI induced by IRI primarily through the release of EVs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0478-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Low-oxygen tension is an important component of the stem cell microenvironment. In rodents, renal resident stem cells have been described in the papilla, a relatively hypoxic region of the kidney. In the present study, we found that CD133+ cells, previously described as renal progenitors in the human cortex, were enriched in the renal inner medulla and localized within the Henle's loop and thin limb segments. Once isolated, the CD133+ cell population expressed renal embryonic and stem-related transcription factors and was able to differentiate into mature renal epithelial cells. When injected subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice within Matrigel, CD133+ cells generated canalized structures positive for renal specific markers of different nephron segments. Oct4A levels and differentiation potential of papillary CD133+ cells were higher than those of CD133+ cells from cortical tubuli. Hypoxia was able to promote the undifferentiated phenotype of CD133+ progenitors from papilla. Hypoxia stimulated clonogenicity, proliferation, vascular endothelial growth factor synthesis, and expression of CD133 that were in turn reduced by epithelial differentiation with parallel HIF-1α downregulation. In addition, hypoxia downregulated microRNA-145 and promoted the synthesis of Oct4A. Epithelial differentiation increased microRNA-145 and reduced Oct4 level, suggesting a balance between Oct4 and microRNA-145. MicroRNA-145 overexpression in CD133+ cells induced downrelation of Oct4A at the protein level, inhibited cell proliferation, and stimulated terminal differentiation. This study underlines the role of the hypoxic microenvironment in controlling the proliferation and maintaining a progenitor phenotype and stem/progenitor properties of CD133+ cells of the nephron. This mechanism may be at the basis of the maintenance of a CD133+ population in the papillary region and may be involved in renal regeneration after injury.

BackgroundThe lifelong accumulation of somatic mutations underlies age-related phenotypes and cancer. Mutagenic forces are thought to shape the genome of aging cells in a tissue-specific way. Whole genome analyses of somatic mutation patterns, based on both types and genomic distribution of variants, can shed light on specific processes active in different human tissues and their effect on the transition to cancer.ResultsTo analyze somatic mutation patterns, we compile a comprehensive genetic atlas of somatic mutations in healthy human cells. High-confidence variants are obtained from newly generated and publicly available whole genome DNA sequencing data from single non-cancer cells, clonally expanded in vitro. To enable a well-controlled comparison of different cell types, we obtain single genome data (92% mean coverage) from multi-organ biopsies from the same donors. These data show multiple cell types that are protected from mutagens and display a stereotyped mutation profile, despite their origin from different tissues. Conversely, the same tissue harbors cells with distinct mutation profiles associated to different differentiation states. Analyses of mutation rate in the coding and non-coding portions of the genome identify a cell type bearing a unique mutation pattern characterized by mutation enrichment in active chromatin, regulatory, and transcribed regions.ConclusionsOur analysis of normal cells from healthy donors identifies a somatic mutation landscape that enhances the risk of tumor transformation in a specific cell population from the kidney proximal tubule. This unique pattern is characterized by high rate of mutation accumulation during adult life and specific targeting of expressed genes and regulatory regions.