The ability of the liver to regenerate is crucial to protect liver function after injury and during chronic disease. Increases in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are thought to drive liver regeneration. However, in contrast to endothelial progenitor cells, mature LSECs express little HGF. Therefore, we sought to establish in rats whether liver injury causes BM LSEC progenitor cells to engraft in the liver and provide increased levels of HGF and to examine the relative contribution of resident and BM LSEC progenitors. LSEC label-retaining cells and progenitors were identified in liver and LSEC progenitors in BM. BM LSEC progenitors did not contribute to normal LSEC turnover in the liver. However, after partial hepatectomy, BM LSEC progenitor proliferation and mobilization to the circulation doubled. In the liver, onequarter of the LSECs were BM derived, and BM LSEC progenitors differentiated into fenestrated LSECs. When irradiated rats underwent partial hepatectomy, liver regeneration was compromised, but infusion of LSEC progenitors rescued the defect. Further analysis revealed that BM LSEC progenitors expressed substantially more HGF and were more proliferative than resident LSEC progenitors after partial hepatectomy. Resident LSEC progenitors within their niche may play a smaller role in recovery from partial hepatectomy than BM LSEC progenitors, but, when infused after injury, these progenitors engrafted and expanded markedly over a 2-month period. In conclusion, LSEC progenitor cells are present in liver and BM, and recruitment of BM LSEC progenitors is necessary for normal liver regeneration.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of regenerative and immunomodulatory functions in cell-based therapies in a variety of human diseases and injuries; however, their therapeutic efficacy and potential side effects remain major obstacles in clinical applications. We report here a 3D spheroid culture approach to optimize stem cell properties and therapeutic effects of human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) in mitigation of experimental oral mucositis. Under growth condition of ultra-low attachment, GMSCs spontaneously aggregated into 3D spheroids and exhibited distinct early stem cell phenotype characterized by elevated expression Stro-1 and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR-4) as well as OCT-4 and Nanog, 2 important transcriptional factors relevant to stem cell properties, and decreased expression of MSC-associated markers, including CD29, CD90, and CD105. Functionally, spheroid GMSCs are capable of enhanced multipotency and augmented secretion of several chemokines and cytokines relevant to cell migration, survival, and angiogenesis. More importantly, spheroid GMSCs expressed increased levels of reactive oxygen species, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 and -2a, and manganese superoxide dismutase, which correlated with improved resistance to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Using an in vivo murine model of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis, we demonstrated that spheroid-derived GMSCs possessed better therapeutic efficacy than their adherent cells in reversing body weight loss and promoting the regeneration of disrupted epithelial lining of the mucositic tongues. These findings suggest that 3D spheroid culture allows early stemness preservation and potentially precondition GMSCs for enhanced mitigation of oral mucositis.

Background and Aims-Damage to hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) initiates sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), which is most commonly a consequence of myeloablative chemo-irradiation or ingestion of pyrrolizidine alkaloids such as monocrotaline (Mct). This study examines whether SEC are of bone marrow origin, whether bone marrow repair can be a determinant of severity of liver injury and whether treatment with progenitor cells is beneficial.

N-(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane (WR1065) protects against radiation-induced cell killing and mutagenesis at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus in V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells. At a concentration of 4 mM, WR1065 was found to be effective in protecting against radiation-induced cell lethality only if present during irradiation, e.g., a dose modification factor (DMF) of 1.9. No protective effect was observed if the protector was added within 5 min after irradiation or 3 h later, e.g., DMFs of 1.0 and 1.1, respectively. The effect of WR1065 on radiation-induced mutation, expressed as resistance to the cytotoxic purine analogue 6-thioguanine (HGPRT), was also investigated. In contrast to the treatment-schedule dependence for protection by WR1065 against cell killing, this agent was effective in reducing radiation-induced mutations regardless of when it was administered. Following a dose of 10 Gy of 60Co gamma-rays, the mutation frequencies observed per 10(6) survivors were 77 +/- 8, 27 +/- 6, 42 +/- 7, and 42 +/- 7 for radiation only, and WR1065 present during, immediately after, or 3 h after irradiation. These data suggest that although a segment of radiation-induced damage leading to reproductive death cannot be modulated through the postirradiation action of WR1065, processes leading to the fixation of gross genetic damage and mutation induction in surviving cells can be effectively altered and interfered with leading to a marked reduction in mutation frequency.

Upregulation of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway has been shown to result in decreased proliferation, increased differentiation, and subsequent apoptosis of malignant glioma cells. Conventional cAMP analogs, however, are difficult to use in a clinical setting. Therefore, we investigated the effects of rolipram, a drug that has undergone clinical trials as an antidepressant and has also been proposed as a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Rolipram acts as a specific inhibitor of type IV phosphodiesterase (PDE4), leading to increased intracellular levels of cAMP. We report that the inhibition of PDE4 by rolipram results in the activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway, with potent stimulation of a reporter gene containing a cAMP-responsive element in its promoter region. Further, treatment of the human glioma cell line A-172 with rolipram results in increased expression of the cell cycle inhibitors p21(Cip1) and p27(KiP1), and decreased activity of cdk2, a cyclin-dependent kinase essential for cell cycle progression. As a result, the proliferation of A-172 cells is inhibited, with induction of a Gl block. Eventually, rolipram-treated A-172 cells undergo differentiation, which is followed by apoptotic cell death. As we observe this effect with other glioma cell cultures as well, our results suggest that rolipram could prove useful as a novel differentiating agent with both cytostatic and cytotoxic potential in the treatment of malignant gliomas.