Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells improve hemodynamic function in pulmonary arterial hypertension: identification of microRNAs implicated in modulating endothelial function

Abstract

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary arterial endothelial hyperproliferation and dysfunction. Restoration of endothelial function is a common goal of available treatments. In the present study, human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) were co-cultured with monocrotaline pyrrole–treated human pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (HPAECs); increased proliferation of HPAECs and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were observed. High throughput sequencing results showed that six microRNAs (miMNAs) of ASCs were significantly dysregulated. In monocrotaline-induced PAH rat models, ASC transplantation improved the right ventricle systolic pressure, right ventricle hypertrophy and pulmonary endothelium hyperproliferation, and four of the six miRNAs were validated in the lung tissue samples. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that these dysregulated miRNAs were involved in the regulation of transcription, signal transduction, negative regulation of cell proliferation through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling pathway and P53 signaling pathway. Our data indicates that the unique six miRNA expression signature could be involved in the PAH endothelial repair by ASCs.