Open Access

ARTICLE

Changes in bioenergetics and neuroprotective properties of mesenchymal stromal cells after LPS treatment

by ELMIRA YAKUPOVA¹, VALENTINA BABENKO^1,2, ALEXEY BOCHARNIKOV¹, KSENIYA FEDULOVA¹, DENIS SILACHEV^1,2, EGOR PLOTNIKOV^1,2,*

1 A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
2 V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Moscow, 117997, Russia

* Corresponding Author: EGOR PLOTNIKOV. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mitochondrial Dynamics and Oxidative Stress in Disease: Cellular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets)

BIOCELL 2024, 48(12), 1827-1834. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2024.058496

Received 13 September 2024; Accepted 15 November 2024; Issue published 30 December 2024

Abstract

Background: The active use of stem and progenitor cells in the therapy of various diseases requires the development of approaches for targeted modification of their properties. One such approach is the induction of a pro- or anti-inflammatory phenotype. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effect of a pro-inflammatory environment in vitro on multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) by incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). iCELLigence real-time cell analysis system was used for monitoring cell culture growth. Cell energy metabolism was assessed using the Seahorse XFp Analyzer. For the rat stroke experiment, we used a photoinduced thrombosis (PT) model; after 24 h of surgery, vehicle or MSC or LPS-treated MSC was injected i.v. With magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) we evaluated the volume of ischemic brain injury. For the effect of MSC on neurological deficit after PT we used three methods: limb placement test, cylinder test, and beam-walking test. Results: LPS exposure led to a significant increase in cell growth rate and to changes in their energy metabolism: glycolytic activity increased significantly in the MSC, and non-glycolytic acidification also increased, while basic respiratory parameters were maintained. With MRI we didn’t reveal changes in the volume of brain damage between all rat groups. Neurological deficit was less only with using untreated MSC injection. Conclusion: Using LPS-treated MSC in the therapy of ischemic stroke in rats, we did not observe an increase in the neuroprotective properties of the cells, but instead noted some decrease in their therapeutic efficacy. We attribute these changes to the formation of a pro-inflammatory phenotype in MSC.

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