Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Relieve Hindlimb Ischemia through Enhancing Angiogenesis in Tree Shrews

Abstract EN

Hindlimb ischemia is still a clinical problem with high morbidity and mortality.

Patients suffer from consequent rest pain, ulcers, cool limbs, and even amputation.

Angiogenesis is a promising target for the treatment of ischemic limbs, providing extra blood for the ischemic region.

In the present study, we investigated the role of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in regulating angiogenesis and relieving hindlimb ischemia.

UC-MSCs were isolated from the umbilical cord of tree shrews.

Angiography results showed that UC-MSCs injection significantly promoted angiogenesis in tree shrews.

Moreover, the ankle brachial index, transcutaneous oxygen pressure, blood perfusion, and capillary/muscle fiber ratio were all markedly increased by the application of UC-MSCs.

In addition, the conditioned culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells using medium collected from UC-MSCs showed higher expression of angiogenic markers and improved migration ability.

In short, the isolated UC-MSCs notably contributed to restoring blood supply and alleviating the symptoms of limb ischemia through enhancing angiogenesis.