Open Access

Thymosin β4 promotes the survival and angiogenesis of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells in the infarcted myocardium

  • Authors:
    • Zhe Quan
    • Qiang-Li Wang
    • Pei Zhou
    • Guo-Dong Wang
    • Yu-Zhen Tan
    • Hai-Jie Wang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: April 11, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2017.2950
  • Pages: 1347-1356
  • Copyright: © Quan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

The survival of transplanted stem cells in ischemic tissue is poor. In the present study, the effects of thymosin β4 (Tβ4) on the survival and angiogenesis of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and improvement in cardiac functions after transplantation of Tβ4-treated EPCs in the infarcted myocardium were investigated. EPCs were isolated from bone marrow of adult male rats and incubated in Endothelial Basal Medium-2. Then the cells were treated with Tβ4 at different concentrations (0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 µM), and cells incubated with DMEM were set as controls. MTT assay, Transwell assay and tube formation in Matrigel were used to detect cell viability, migration and angiogenesis, respectively. For examining the protective effect of Tβ4 on EPCs, the cells were also incubated in the condition of hypoxia and serum deprivation. p-Akt expression was also examined using western blot analysis. Rat models of myocardial infarction (MI) were established by ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery. At four weeks after intramyocardial injection of Tβ4-treated EPCs, the changes in cardiac functions, size of the scar tissue and density of microvessels were examined by echocardiography, Masson's trichrome staining, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the Y-chromosome. Tβ4 enhanced EPC viability, protected the cells from apoptosis in hypoxia and serum deprivation, and promoted the proliferation and migration of the cells and formation of capillary-like structures in the cells. Moreover, Tβ4 increased p-Akt expression in the cells. The cytoprotective and proangiogenic effects of Tβ4 were in a dose-dependent manner. Tβ4-treated EPCs improved cardiac function, enhanced the repair of the infarcted myocardium, and promoted angiogenesis after transplantation in the infarcted myocardium. In conclusion, pretreatment of EPCs with Tβ4 is a novel strategy for the repair of ischemic tissue after transplantation in MI.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

June-2017
Volume 39 Issue 6

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Quan Z, Wang Q, Zhou P, Wang G, Tan Y and Wang H: Thymosin β4 promotes the survival and angiogenesis of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells in the infarcted myocardium. Int J Mol Med 39: 1347-1356, 2017.
APA
Quan, Z., Wang, Q., Zhou, P., Wang, G., Tan, Y., & Wang, H. (2017). Thymosin β4 promotes the survival and angiogenesis of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells in the infarcted myocardium. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 39, 1347-1356. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2017.2950
MLA
Quan, Z., Wang, Q., Zhou, P., Wang, G., Tan, Y., Wang, H."Thymosin β4 promotes the survival and angiogenesis of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells in the infarcted myocardium". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 39.6 (2017): 1347-1356.
Chicago
Quan, Z., Wang, Q., Zhou, P., Wang, G., Tan, Y., Wang, H."Thymosin β4 promotes the survival and angiogenesis of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells in the infarcted myocardium". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 39, no. 6 (2017): 1347-1356. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2017.2950