Expression of Pluripotency Genes in Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Amniotic Fluid Cells

Isolation, culture, and induced multiple differentiation of Mongolian sheep adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC) are adult pluripotent cells and important resources for cell-based therapies of animals. There are presently different kinds of somatic cells used as donor cells for clone successfully. However, studies on somatic cell nuclear transplantation (SCNT) using ADSC as donor cells from Mongolian sheep have not been reported up to now. This study tested optimal methods of isolating, purifying, and proliferating Mongolian sheep ADSC, and determine their multiple differentiation potentiality. Adipose tissue was removed from approximately 2-year-old sheep and ADSC were harvested by pancreatic enzyme decomposition and adherent culture method. The growth curves of the Passages 1, 5, and 10 cultures were plotted and the exponential growth was determined as a population doubling time of 34.1 h. The expression of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG genes were increased at Passage 3 (P3) as seen by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. ADSC from Passage 3 were induced to undergo neurogenesis and form cardiomyocytes and pancreatic islet-like cells under inductive environments in vitro. The differentiation properties of cardiomyocytes and islet-like cells were confirmed by histological staining with toluidine blue, periodic acid-Schiff, and dithizone. The expression of specific genes in these cells were also detected by RT-PCR. Our study results confirm that isolated cells were indeed ADSC and may provide valuable materials for somatic cell clone and transgenic research.

Mesenchymal stem cell: Basic research and potential applications in cattle and buffalo

Characteristic features like self-renewal, multilineage differentiation potential, and immune-modulatory/anti-inflammatory properties, besides the ability to mobilize and home distant tissues make stem cells (SCs) a lifeline for an individual. Stem cells (SCs) if could be harvested and expanded without any abnormal change may be utilized as an all-in-one solution to numerous clinical ailments. However, slender understanding of their basic physiological properties, including expression potential, behavioral alternations during culture, and the effect of niche/microenvironment has currently restricted the clinical application of SCs. Among various types of SCs, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are extensively studied due to their easy availability, straightforward harvesting, and culturing procedures, besides, their less likelihood to produce teratogens. Large ruminant MSCs have been harvested from various adult tissues and fetal membranes and are well characterized under in vitro conditions but unlike human or other domestic animals in vivo studies on cattle/buffalo MSCs have mostly been aimed at improving the animals' production potential. In this document, we focused on the status and potential application of MSCs in cattle and buffalo.

Highly potent stem cells from full-term amniotic fluid: A realistic perspective

Amniotic fluid (AF) is now known to harbor highly potent stem cells, making it an excellent source for cell therapy. However, most of the stem cells isolated are from AF of mid-term pregnancies in which the collection procedure involves an invasive technique termed amniocentesis. This has limited the access in getting the fluid as the technique imposes certain level of risks to the mother as well as to the fetus. Alternatively, getting AF from full-term pregnancies or during deliveries would be a better resolution. Unfortunately, very few studies have isolated stem cells from AF at this stage of gestation, the fluid that is merely discarded. The question remains whether full-term AF harbors stem cells of similar potency as of the stem cells of mid-term AF. Here, we aim to review the prospect of having this type of stem cells by first looking at the origin and contents of AF particularly during different gestation period. We will then discuss the possibility that the AF, at full term, contains a population of highly potent stem cells. These stem cells are distinct from, and probably more potent than the AF mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs) isolated from full-term AF. By comparing the studies on stem cells isolated from mid-term versus full-term AF from various species, we intend to address the prospect of having highly potent amniotic fluid stem cells from AF of full-term pregnancies in human and animals.

Isolation, molecular characterization, and in vitro differentiation of bovine Wharton jelly-derived multipotent mesenchymal cells

Extrafetal tissues are a noncontroversial and inexhaustible source of mesenchymal stem cells that can be harvested noninvasively at low cost. In the veterinary field, as in man, stem cells derived from extrafetal tissues express plasticity, reduced immunogenicity, and have high anti-inflammatory potential making them promising candidates for treatment of many diseases. Umbilical cord mesenchymal cells have been isolated and characterized in different species and have recently been investigated as potential candidates in regenerative medicine. In this study, cells derived from bovine Wharton jelly (WJ) were isolated for the first time by enzymatic methods, frozen/thawed, cultivated for at least 10 passages, and characterized. Wharton jelly-derived cells readily attached to plastic culture dishes displaying typical fibroblast-like morphology and, although their proliferative capacity decreased to the seventh passage, these cells showed a mean doubling time of 34.55 ± 6.33 hours and a mean frequency of one colony-forming unit fibroblast like for every 221.68 plated cells. The results of molecular biology studies and flow cytometry analyses revealed that WJ-derived cells showed the typical antigen profile of mesenchymal stem cells and were positive for CD29, CD44, CD105, CD166, Oct-4, and c-Myc. They were negative for CD34 and CD14. Remarkably, WJ-derived cells showed differentiation ability. After culture in induced media, WJ-derived cells were able to differentiate into osteogenic, adipogenic, chondrogenic, and neurogenic lines as shown by positive staining and expression of specific markers. On polymerase chain reaction analysis, these cells were negative for MHC-II and positive for MHC-I, thus reinforcing the role of extrafetal tissue as an allogenic source for bovine cell-based therapies. These results provide evidence that bovine WJ-derived cells may have the potential to differentiate to repair damaged tissues and reinforce the importance of extrafetal tissues as stem cell sources in veterinary regenerative medicine. A more detailed evaluation of their immunologic properties is necessary to better understand their potential role in cellular therapy.

Rat full term amniotic fluid harbors highly potent stem cells

Amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) are commonly isolated from mid-term amniotic fluid (AF) of animals and human collected via an invasive technique, amniocentesis. Alternatively, AFSCs could be collected at full-term. However, it is unclear whether AFSCs are present in the AF at full term. Here, we aimed to isolate and characterize stem cells isolated from AF of full term pregnant rats. Three stem cell lines have been established following immuno-selection against the stem cell marker, c-kit. Two of the new lines expressed multiple markers of pluripotency until more than passage 90. Further, they spontaneously differentiated into derivatives of the three primary germ layers through the formation of good quality embryoid bodies (EBs), and can be directly differentiated into neural lineage. Their strong stemness and potent neurogenic properties highlight the presence of highly potent stem cells in AF of full-term pregnancies, which could serve as a potential source of stem cells for regenerative medicine.

Isolation, Culture, Differentiation, and Nuclear Reprogramming of Mongolian Sheep Fetal Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

We have characterized the differentiation potentiality and the developmental potential of cloned embryos of fetal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) isolated from Mongolian sheep. BMSCs were harvested by centrifuging after the explants method and the mononuclear cells obtained were cultured. The isolated BMSCs were uniform, with a fibroblast-like spindle or stellate appearance, and we confirmed expression of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG genes at passage 3 (P3) by RT-PCR. We measured the growth of the passage 1, 5, and 10 cultures and found exponential growth with a population doubling time of 29.7±0.05 h. We cultured the P3 BMSCs in vitro under inductive environments and were able to induce them to undergo neurogenesis and form cardiomyocytes and adipocytes. Donor cells at passages 3-4 were used for nuclear transfer (NT). We found the BMSCs could be expanded in vitro and used as nuclear donors for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Thus, BMSCs are an attractive cell type for large-animal autologous studies and will be valuable material for somatic cell cloning and future transgenic research.

Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) term amniotic-membrane-derived cells exhibited mesenchymal stem cells characteristics in vitro

Recent studies suggested that placentae amniotic membrane is a valuable source of stem cells in human as well as in livestock species. Advantages of amnion over other sources of stem cells included abundant availability, ethically non-objectionable and non-invasive source. The aim of the present study was the isolation, culture and characterization of amniotic-membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells from term placentae collected postpartum in buffalo. We have observed that both presumptive epithelial-like and fibroblast-like cells were cultured and maintained from term amnion. These cells were shown the positive expression of pluripotency markers (OCT-4, SOX-2, NANOG, TERT), mesenchymal stem cell markers (CD29, CD44, CD105) and negative for haematopoietic marker (CD34) genes at different passages. In addition, these cells were also positive for alkaline phosphatase staining. Stem-ness potential of any stem cells is determined by their potential to differentiate into specific lineages of cell type. In the present study, we have successfully differentiated the amniotic-membrane-derived cells into adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages of cells in vitro. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that amniotic-membrane-derived cells expressed pluripotent and mesenchymal stem cells markers and have propensity to differentiate into cells of mesenchymal lineage cell type upon directed differentiation in vitro.

Upregulation of Nanog and Sox-2 genes following ectopic expression of Oct-4 in amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells

Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct-4), an important gene regulating stem cell pluripotency, is well-known for its ability to reprogram somatic cells in vitro, either alone or in concert with other factors. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of ectopic expression of Oct human amniotic fluid stem cells. We developed a novel method for isolation of putative human amniotic fluid-derived multipotent stem cells. These cells showing mesenchymal stem cell phenotypes (human amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells, hAFMSCs) were transfected with a plasmid carrying genes for Oct-4 and the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The stably transfected cells, hAFMSCs-Oct4/GFP, were selected by using G418 and found to express the GFP reporter gene under the control of Oct-4 promoter. We found that hAFMSCs developed by our method possess very high self-renewal ability (about 78 cumulative population doublings) and multilineage differentiation potency. Significantly, the hAFMSCs-Oct4/GFP cells showed enhanced expression of the three major pluripotency genes Oct-4, Nanog, and Sox-2, and increased colony-forming ability and growth rate compared with the parental hAFMSCs. We demonstrated that the ectopic expression of Oct-4 gene in hAFMSCs with high self-renewal ability could upregulate Nanog and Sox-2 gene expression and enhance cell growth rate and colony-forming efficiency. Therefore, the ectopic expression of Oct-4 could be a strategy to develop pluripotency in hAFMSCs for clinical applications.

Stem cells from foetal adnexa and fluid in domestic animals: an update on their features and clinical application

Over the past decade, stem cell research has emerged as an area of major interest for its potential in regenerative medicine applications. This is in constant need of new cell sources to conceive regenerative medicine approaches for diseases that are still without therapy. Scientists drew the attention towards alternative sources such as foetal adnexa and fluid, as these sources possess many advantages: first of all, cells can be extracted from discarded foetal material and it is non-invasive and inexpensive for the patient; secondly, abundant stem cells can be obtained; and finally, these stem cell sources are free from ethical considerations. Cells derived from foetal adnexa and fluid preserve some of the characteristics of the primitive embryonic layers from which they originate. Many studies have demonstrated the differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo towards mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal cell types; in addition, the immune-modulatory properties make these cells a good candidate for allo- and xenotransplantation. Naturally occurring diseases in domestic animals can be more ideal as disease model of human genetic and acquired diseases and could help to define the potential therapeutic use efficiency and safety of stem cells therapies. This review offers an update on the state of the art of characterization of domestic animals' MSCs derived from foetal adnexa and fluid and on the latest findings in pre-clinical or clinical setting of the stem cell populations isolated from these sources.

A comparative study on efficiency of adult fibroblasts and amniotic fluid-derived stem cells as donor cells for production of hand-made cloned buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos

The efficiency of two cell types, namely adult fibroblasts, and amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells as nuclear donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer by hand-made cloning in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) was compared. The in vitro expanded buffalo adult fibroblast cells showed a typical "S" shape growth curve with a doubling time of 40.8 h and stained positive for vimentin. The in vitro cultured undifferentiated AFS cells showed a doubling time of 33.2 h and stained positive for alkaline phosphatase, these cells were also found positive for undifferentiated embryonic stem cell markers like OCT-4, NANOG and SOX-2, which accentuate their pluripotent property. Further, when AFS cells were exposed to corresponding induction conditions, these cells differentiated into osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic lineages which was confirmed through alizaran, oil red O and alcian blue staining, respectively. Cultured adult fibroblasts and AFS cells of passages 10-15 and 8-12, respectively, were used as nuclear donors. A total of 94 embryos were reconstructed using adult fibroblast as donor cells with cleavage and blastocyst production rate of 62.8 ± 1.8 and 19.1 ± 1.5, respectively. An overall cleavage and blastocyst formation rate of 71.1 ± 1.2 and 29.9 ± 2.2 was obtained when 97 embryos were reconstructed using AFS cells as donor cells. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in reconstructed efficiency between the cloned embryos derived from two donor cells, whereas the results showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in cleavage and blastocyst rates between the cloned embryos derived from two donor cell groups. Average total cell numbers for blastocyst generated using AFS cells (172.4 ± 5.8) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than from adult fibroblasts (148.2 ± 6.1). This study suggests that the in vitro developmental potential of the cloned embryos derived from AFS cells were higher than that of the cloned embryos derived from adult fibroblasts in buffalo hand-made cloning.

Phenotypical and functional characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells derived from equine umbilical cord blood

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer promise as therapeutic aid in the repair of tendon and ligament injuries in race horses. Fetal adnexa is considered as an ideal source of MSCs due to many advantages, including non-invasive nature of isolation procedures and availability of large tissue mass for harvesting the cells. However, MSCs isolated from equine fetal adnexa have not been fully characterized due to lack of species-specific markers. Therefore, this study was carried out to isolate MSCs from equine umbilical cord blood (UCB) and characterize them using cross-reactive markers. The plastic-adherent cells could be isolated from 13 out of 20 (65 %) UCB samples. The UCB derived cells proliferated till passage 20 with average cell doubling time of 46.40 ± 2.86 h. These cells expressed mesenchymal surface markers but did not express haematopoietic/leucocytic markers by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. The phenotypic expression of CD29, CD44, CD73 and CD90 was shown by 96.36 ± 1.28, 93.40 ± 0.70, 73.23 ± 1.29 and 46.75 ± 3.95 % cells, respectively in flow cytometry, whereas, reactivity against the haematopoietic antigens CD34 and CD45 was observed only in 2.4 ± 0.20 and 0.1 ± 0.0 % of cells, respectively. Osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation could be achieved using established methods, whereas the optimum adipogenic differentiation was achieved after supplementing media with 15 % rabbit serum and 20 ng/ml of recombinant human insulin. In this study, we optimized methodology for isolation, cultural characterization, differentiation and immunophenotyping of MSCs from equine UCB. Protocols and markers used in this study can be employed for unequivocal characterization of equine MSCs.

Isolation, culture, and induced multiple differentiation of Mongolian sheep bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

The aim of this paper was to explore the optimal method of isolating, purifying, and proliferating Mongolian sheep bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and their multiple differentiation potentialities. Bone marrow (BM) was punctured from ∼1-year-old sheep, and BMSCs were harvested through gradient centrifuge and adherent cultures. Analysis of the growth of the passage 1, 5, and 10 cultures revealed an S-shaped growth curve with a population doubling time of 31.2 h. Karyotyping indicated that the chromosome number in the Mongolian sheep was 2n = 54, comprising 26 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (XY). RT-PCR demonstrated that OCT4, SOX2, and Nanog genes at passage 3 were positively expressed. The P3 BMSCs were cultured in vitro under inductive environments and induced into adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, neural cells, and cardiomyocytes. Their differentiation properties were confirmed by histological staining, such as oil red, Alizarin red, hematoxylin-eosin, toluidine blue, and periodic acid schiff. RT-PCR showed that the specific genes to be induced were all expressed. This proves that the isolated cells are indeed the BMSCs and also provides valuable materials for somatic cell cloning and transgenic research.

Isolation of canine mesenchymal stem cells from amniotic fluid and differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells

Recent findings have demonstrated that amniotic fluid cells are an interesting and potential source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, we isolated MSCs from canine amniotic fluid and then characterized their multilineage differentiation ability. Canine amniotic fluid stem (cAFS) cells at passage 5 had a fibroblast-like morphology instead of forming colonies and were positive for pluripotent stem cell markers such as OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2. Flow cytometry analysis showed the expression of MSC surface markers CD44, CD29, and CD90 on the cAFS cells. In addition, these cells were cultured under conditions favorable for adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic induction. The results of this experiment confirmed the mesenchymal nature of cAFS cells and their multipotent potential. Interestingly, although the cells exhibited a fibroblast-like morphology after hepatogenic induction, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of several hepatic genes, such as albumin, tyrosine aminotransferase, and alpha-1 antiproteinase, increased following maturation and differentiation. These findings indicated that cAFS cells have functional properties similar to those of hepatocytes. Taken together, the results of our study demonstrated that cAFS cells with mesenchymal characteristics can be successfully isolated from canine amniotic fluid and possess functional properties characteristic of hepatocytes. The findings of our work suggest that cAFS cells have the potential to be a resource for cell-based therapies in a canine model of hepatic disease.

Isolation, culture and characterization of caprine mesenchymal stem cells derived from amniotic fluid

Amniotic fluid (AF) represents heterologous cell types and a specific group of these cells show high growth rate and multipotent characteristics. The aim of the present study was to culture and fully characterize the putative stem cell population isolated from caprine mesenchymal stem cells. Plastic adherent fibroblastoid cell population could be successfully isolated from the caprine amniotic fluid. In vitro expanded caprine amniotic fluid derived mesenchymal stem cells (cAF-MSCs) showed high proliferation ratio with a doubling time of 33.1h and stained positive for alkaline phosphatase. Relative transcript abundance of CD-73, CD-90 and CD-105 surface markers were analyzed by SYBR green based real time PCR and their respective proteins were localized through immunocytochemistry, however cAF-MSCs were found negative for haematopoietic marker CD-34. When exposed to corresponding induction condition, cAF-MSCs differentiated into osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic lineages which was confirmed through von Kossa, Oil Red O and Alcian blue staining respectively. Furthermore, these cells were found positive for undifferentiated embryonic stem cell markers like Oct-4, Nanog, Sox-2, SSEA-1 and SSEA-4 which accentuate their pluripotent property. In conclusion, caprine amniotic fluid represents a promising source of mesenchymal stem cells with high proliferative and differentiation potential and these cells offer their scope for multiple regenerative therapies.

Molecular and cellular characterization of buffalo bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Immune privileged mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into multiple cell types and possess great potential for human and veterinary regenerative therapies. This study was designed with an objective to isolate, expand and characterize buffalo bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) at molecular and cellular level. Buffalo BM-MSCs were isolated by Ficoll density gradient method and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS). These cells were characterized through alkaline phosphatase (AP) staining, colony-forming unit (CFU) assay, mRNA expression analysis (CD 73, CD 90, CD 105, Oct4 and Nanog), immunolocalization along with flow cytometry (Stro 1, CD 73, CD 105, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog) and in situ hybridization (Oct4 and Sox2). Multilineage differentiation (osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic) was induced in vitro, which was further assessed by specific staining. Buffalo BM-MSCs have the capacity to form plastic adherent clusters of fibroblast-like cells and were successfully maintained up to 16(th) passage. These cells were AP positive, and further CFU assay confirmed their clonogenic property. RT-PCR analysis and protein localization study showed that buffalo BM-MSCs are positive for various cell surface markers and pluripotency markers. Cytoplasmic distribution of mRNA for pluripotency markers in buffalo BM-MSCs and multilineage differentiation were induced in vitro, which was further assessed by specific staining. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of buffalo BM-MSCs, which suggests that MSCs can be derived and expanded from buffalo bone marrow and can be used after characterization as a novel agent for regenerative therapy.

Culture, characterization and differentiation of cells from buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) amnion

Stem cells present an important tool in livestock assisted reproduction and veterinary therapeutic field such as tissue engineering. We report for the first time isolation of pluripotent stem cell-like cells expressing pluripotency markers (alkaline phospahatase, OCT-4, NANOG and SOX-2) from the amnion of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). The cells showed no apparent abnormalities in their chromosomal profiles before and after cryopreservation. The cytochemical staining revealed that pluripotent cells were capable of undergoing directed differentiation in vitro into osteocytes. It could be inferred that amnion-derived pluripotent stem cell-like cells can be isolated, cultured for many passages and differentiated into mesoderm lineage, and may be an alternative source to mesenchymal stem cells. These cells can have applications in assisted reproduction, developmental biological and regenerative medicine.

Characterization, GFP gene Nucleofection, and allotransplantation in injured tendons of ovine amniotic fluid-derived stem cells

Amniotic fluid has drawn increasing attention in the recent past as a cost-effective and accessible source of fetal stem cells. Amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs) that display high proliferation rate, large spectrum of differentiation potential, and immunosuppressive features are considered optimal candidates for allogeneic repair of mesenchymal damaged tissues. In this study, ovine AFMSCs (oAFMSCs) isolated from 3-month-old sheep fetuses were characterized for their proliferation rate, specific surface antigen and pluripotency marker expression, genomic stability, and mesenchymal lineage differentiation during their in vitro expansion (12 passages) and after nucleofection. The high proliferation rate of oAFMSCs gradually decreased during the first six subculture passages while the expression of surface molecules (CD29, CD58, CD166) and of pluripotency-associated markers (OCT4, TERT, NANOG, SOX2), the in vitro osteogenic differentiation potential, and a normal karyotype were maintained. Afterwards, oAFMSCs were nucleofected with a selectable plasmid coding for green fluorescent protein (GFP) using two different programs, U23 and C17, previously optimized for human mesenchymal stem cells. Transfection efficiencies were ∼63% and ∼37%, while cell recoveries were ∼10% and ∼22%, respectively. Nucleofected oAFMSCs expressing the GFP transgene conserved their pluripotency marker profile and retained a normal karyotype and the osteogenic differentiation ability. Seven single clones with a GFP expression ranging from 80% to 97% were then isolated and expanded over 1 month, thus providing stably transfected cells with long-term therapeutic potential. The in vivo behavior of GFP-labeled oAFMSCs was tested on a previously validated preclinical model of experimentally induced Achille's tendon defect. The allotransplanted oAFMSCs were able to survive within the host tissue for 1 month enhancing the early phase of tendon healing as indicated by morphological and biomechanical results. Altogether these data suggest that genetically modified oAFMSCs might represent a valuable tool for in vivo preclinical studies in a highly valid translational model.