hUMSCs regulate the differentiation of ovarian stromal cells via TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway to inhibit ovarian fibrosis to repair ovarian function in POI rats

Abstract

Objective The basic pathological changes of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) include ovarian tissue fibrosis and follicular development disorders. The human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUMSC) transplantation has been shown an effective method to improve the ovarian function in POI rat model; however, the exact mechanisms are still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the recovery of ovarian function in POI rats is related to the inhibition of tissue fibrosis following hUMSC transplantation. Furthermore, the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway is explored to determine the mechanisms of ovarian function recovery through its inhibition of tissue fibrosis. Methods The primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of chemotherapy drug cisplatin (CDDP) for 7 days. The levels of serum sex hormones were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The tissue fibrosis in the ovary was examined using Masson staining and Sirius red staining. The collagen fibers in the ovarian tissues were detected by Western blot analysis. To investigate the mechanisms of ovarian function recovery following hUMSC transplantation, ovarian stromal cells were isolated from the ovarian cortex of immature rats. The expression of Cytochrome P450 17A1 (Cyp17a1) and fibrosis marker of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in ovarian stromal cells was examined using immunofluorescence analysis. Also, the protein levels of Cyp17a1 and α-SMA in ovarian stromal cells were examined by Western blot analysis. The expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 signals was measured by Western blot and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Results The results show that the function of the ovary in POI rats was significantly improved after hUMSC transplantation. The expression of fibrosis markers (α-SMA) and production of Collagen Type I (Collagen I) and Collagen Type III (Collagen III) in POI rats were significantly inhibited in POI rats following hUMSC transplantation. In the cultured ovarian stromal cells, the decrease of TGF-β1 and p-Smad3 protein expression was observed in hUMSC-treated POI rats. The treatment with TGF-β1 inhibitor of SB431542 further confirmed this signal pathway was involved in the process. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway was involved in the inhibition of ovarian tissue fibrosis, which contributed to the restoration of ovarian function in POI rats following hUMSC transplantation.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells derived from juvenile macaques reversed ovarian ageing in elderly macaques

“…In our study, Masson staining showed that the degree of fibrosis was significantly decreased after BMMSC treatment. Previous studies have shown similar effectiveness of MSCs in inhibiting ovarian fibrosis [ 20 , 36 ], and the mechanism involves mainly MSC-mediated inhibition of inflammatory factors [ 37 ]. These results suggested that BMMSCs inhibit the inflammatory response by secreting various immune and inflammation regulatory factors to reduce the degree of ovarian fibrosis.…”

Rhamnocitrin ameliorates ovarian fibrosis via PPARγ/TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway to repair ovarian function in polycystic ovary syndrome rats

“…TGF-β1 from endometriomas modulates TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway to promote brosis and adhesion to ovary [30]. TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway participates in ovarian brosis inhibition and results in ovarian function restoration in primary ovarian insu ciency (POI) rats after human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUMSC) transplantation [31]. Whereas, whether PPARγ/TGF-β1/Smad signaling is implicated in ovarian brosis and dysfunction of PCOS is still unclear.…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: Mechanisms and Prospects

“…A recent study demonstrated that EVs could gather around the damaged GCs, and inhibit their apoptosis to restore ovarian secretory function (Zhang et al, 2020). Liu et al (2020) showed that MSCs-EVs could regulate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to enhance ovarian function. Notably, EVs could regulate proliferation-related pathways to modulate the state of ovarian cells, thus restoring ovarian reserve.…”

“…Currently, researchers intend to explore the antifibrotic effects of MSCs in POI treatment. A previous study showed that MSCs exerted an antifibrotic effect in the injured ovaries of POI rats by regulating the TGF-β1/Smad-3 signaling pathway after transplantation ( Cui et al, 2020 ). Although only a few studies have explored anti-fibrosis effects of MSCs, inhibition and reduction of fibrosis in tissues and organs by MSCs are important mechanisms for the therapeutic effect.…”