Abstract
BackgroundAging is one of the dominant factors contributing to erectile dysfunction (ED), and effective treatments for age-associated ED are urgently demanded. In this study, the therapeutic efficiency of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) overexpressing microRNA-145 (miR-145) was evaluated in ED.MethodsSixty male Sprague-Dawley rats (24 months old) were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups (n = 15/group): PBS (control), BMSCs, BMSCs transfected with a blank vector (vector-BMSCs), and BMSCs transfected with a lentivirus overexpressing miR-145 (OE-miR-145-BMSCs). Fourteen days after transplantation of BMSCs, erectile function was evaluated by measuring intra-cavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Subsequently, penile erectile tissues were harvested and subjected to Masson staining, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence staining, dual luciferase assay, and Western blot analysis.ResultsFourteen days after transplantation, the ICP/MAP was 0.79 ± 0.05 in the OE-miR-145-BMSC group, 0.61 ± 0.06 in the BMSC group, 0.57 ± 0.06 in the vector-BMSC group, and 0.3 ± 0.01 in the PBS group. Treatment with OE-miR-145-BMSCs significantly improved ED (P < 0.05), and the treatment increased the smooth muscle content in the penis tissues of ED rats (P < 0.05). In the OE-miR-145-BMSC group, the expression levels of α-SMA, desmin, and SM-MHC were higher than they were in the other ED groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the levels of collagen 1, MMP2, and p-Smad2 in the BMSC-treated group, especially in the OE-miR-145-BMSC group, were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsMicroRNA-145 engineered BMSCs effectively attenuate age-related ED. Transplantation of miR-145-overexpressing BMSCs may provide a promising novel avenue for age-associated ED therapy.
Highlights
Aging is one of the dominant factors contributing to erectile dysfunction (ED), and effective treatments for age-associated ED are urgently demanded
We found that Bone marrow-derived stem cell (BMSC) overexpressing miR-145 increased the number of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) by directly targeting Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) and reducing the expression of collagen 1 and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2); further, the cells reduced the phosphorylation of the mediator of TGF-β signaling, SMAD2 by targeting transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFBR2)
The transduced ratio was almost the same between cells transduced with LVmiR-145-GFP and those transduced with LV-vectorGFP. qRT-PCR analysis revealed a marked increase in miRNA expression after infection with the miR-145overexpressing lentivirus (Fig. 1b)
Summary
Aging is one of the dominant factors contributing to erectile dysfunction (ED), and effective treatments for age-associated ED are urgently demanded. The therapeutic efficiency of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) overexpressing microRNA-145 (miR-145) was evaluated in ED. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a widespread affliction in aging men, leading to an inevitable decrease in the quality of life [1]. Previous studies suggest that ED in aged men may be associated with decreased smooth muscle content and increased collagen deposition [5]. Increasing evidence shows that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have self-renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into a wide range of cell populations in certain settings. MSC-based treatments have been shown to generate positive therapeutic effects in age-related ED [12,13,14]. Treating ED with MSCs is still in the trial phase, and the detailed mechanisms of MSC action remain elusive
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