2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (30): 4819-4825

Biological characteristics of umbilical cord and menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells under physiological hypoxia

Mo Yunfang1, Wang Zejian1, Qi Nianmin2, Chen Yantian1   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to treat various diseases such as diabetes, graft-versus-host disease, and premature ovarian failure. However, traditional culture methods have problems such as slow growth rate and senescence. Physiological hypoxia is expected to improve the biological characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells, which can optimize the culture method.  
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of physiological hypoxia on the biological characteristics of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
METHODS:   Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells were cultured under 21% and 5% oxygen concentrations. Cell surface markers, colony formation, proliferation, apoptosis, senescence, glucose and lactate metabolism and differentiation were detected.  
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Hypoxia can promote the proliferation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells, and the population doubling time of the two kinds of mesenchymal stem cells was reduced (umbilical cord: P < 0.001; menstrual blood: P < 0.05). (2) The lactate metabolism of the two kinds of stem cells was enhanced (umbilical cord: P < 0.05; menstrual blood: P < 0.01) under hypoxia and glucose metabolism of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells was enhanced (P < 0.001). (3) Hypoxia improved senescence of menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells under high generation. (4) Hypoxia promoted the adhesion efficiency of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (P < 0.01). (5) Hypoxia had no effect on the stemness. (6) The results indicated that physiological hypoxia improved the proliferation and attachment efficiency of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and menstrual blood derived mesenchymal stem cells and had an anti-aging effect on senescent cells, simultaneously had no effects on surface markers. In addition, hypoxia displayed different effects on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from different sources.
Key words: stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, physiological hypoxia, biological characteristics, proliferation, senescence, metabolism, differentiation