Therapeutic Benefits of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 3;11(2):e0142476. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142476. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by progressive increases in vascular resistance and the remodeling of pulmonary arteries. The accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lung and elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream suggest that inflammation may play a role in PAH. In this study, the benefits of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-conditioned medium (iPSC CM) were explored in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rats. We demonstrated that both iPSCs and iPSC CM significantly reduced the right ventricular systolic pressure and ameliorated the hypertrophy of the right ventricle in MCT-induced PAH rats in models of both disease prevention and disease reversal. In the prevention of MCT-induced PAH, iPSC-based therapy led to the decreased accumulation of inflammatory cells and down-regulated the expression of the IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12α, IL-12β, IL-23 and IFNγ genes in lung specimens, which implied that iPSC-based therapy may be involved in the regulation of inflammation. NF-κB signaling is essential to the inflammatory cascade, which is activated via the phosphorylation of the NF-κB molecule. Using the chemical inhibitor specifically blocked the phosphorylation of NF-κB, and in vitro assays of cultured human M1 macrophages implied that the anti-inflammation effect of iPSC-based therapy may contribute to the disturbance of NF-κB activation. Here, we showed that iPSC-based therapy could restore the hemodynamic function of right ventricle with benefits for preventing the ongoing inflammation in the lungs of MCT-induced PAH rats by regulating NF-κB phosphorylation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Culture Media, Conditioned
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down-Regulation
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / pathology
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / physiopathology
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / therapy*
  • Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / therapy
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / therapy
  • Interferon-gamma / genetics
  • Interleukins / genetics
  • Lung / pathology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Male
  • Monocrotaline
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells* / transplantation
  • Pulmonary Artery / pathology
  • Rats

Substances

  • Culture Media, Conditioned
  • Cytokines
  • Interleukins
  • NF-kappa B
  • Monocrotaline
  • Interferon-gamma

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Grant No. VGHKS 102-058, 103-053, 103-121, 103-124, 102-054, and National Science Council, Taiwan, NSC 101-2314-13-075B-008, MOST-103-2314-B-075B-003.