Psoriatic mesenchymal stem cells stimulate the angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo investigate the regulation of psoriatic dermal mesenchymal stem cells (p-DMSCs) in the expression of vascular growth factor (VEGF), and migration and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro.\n\n\nMETHODS\nA co-culture model of HUVECs and dermal mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs)was used in this study. After 7-day co-culture, changes in expression levels of VEGF mRNA and protein in HUVECs were assessed using RT-PCR and Western Blotting, respectively. Migration and tubular formation of HUVECs were also assessed following co-culture of DMSCs and HUVECs.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn comparison to either HUVECs alone or co-culture of n-DMSCs and HUVECs, co-culture of HUVECs and p-DMSCs significantly increased expression levels of both VEGF mRNA (p\u202f<\u202f0.01 vs. HUVECs alone) and protein in HUVECs (p\u202f<\u202f0.001 vs. both HUVECs alone and HUVECs co-cultured with n-DMSCs). Moreover, p-DMSCs stimulated HUVEC migration and vascular formation (p\u202f<\u202f0.05 vs. both HUVECs alone and co-culture of n-DMSCs and HUVECs).\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nPsoriatic DMSCs can upregulate VEGF expression, and stimulate migration and angiogenesis of HUVECs, suggesting a pathogenic role of p-DMSCs in psoriasis.