Evaluation of the effect of mesenchymal stem cells from healthy rats on the osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from hypertensive rats

• Grant number: 17/27036-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Márcio Mateus Beloti
• Grantee: Barbara Luana da Silva Bezerra
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In addition to being a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, being one of the major global health problems, hypertension has been associated with negative effects on bone tissue, leading to a decrease in bone mass and consequently greater susceptibility to fractures. Several drugs have been proposed in order to minimize this harmful effect and promote the best bone repair in healthy and hypertensive patients, improving their quality of life. Among the treatments, a promising alternative is the use of cell therapy, based on the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and/or differentiated osteoblasts from these MSCs, to treat the damages to bone tissue caused by hypertension. Therefore, the aim of the present project will be to evaluate the influence of MSCs derived of normotensive/healthy rats on the osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs derived from hypertensive rats grown under osteogenic conditions using an indirect co-culture model. Bone marrow MSCs will be obtained from hypertensive (HA-MSCs) and normotensive/healthy rats (SAU-MSCs) and expanded in vitro in growth medium. Subsequently, indirect coculture will be performed in osteogenic medium using 24-well plates with inserts so that the inserts contain SAU-MSCs, while the HA-MSCs will be cultured at the bottom of the wells. The controls will be non-cocultured SAU-MSCs and HA-MSCs, grown alone in osteogenic medium, which will be compared to the HA-MSCs grown in indirect coculture with SAU-MSCs. The evaluated cellular responses will be cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), mineralized extracellular matrix formation and gene expression of the osteoblastic markers, RUNX2, osterix, ALP, bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin. The data will be submitted to the normal curve adherence test to determine the appropriate statistical test. The results of this study may contribute to determine the characteristics of candidate cells to be used in cell therapy in patients with arterial hypertension, since this is a global health issue. (AU)