Research on promotion of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells migration by protocatechuic acid in vitro
Wang H., Liu TQ., Guan S., Zhu YX., Ma XH., Cui ZF.
The effect of protocatechuic acid (PCA) from Alpinia oxyphylla on the cell migration of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (hADSCs) was studied. It was found that PCA could promote the migration capacity of hADSCs through Transwell coated with gelatin in vitro. PCA enhanced the cell migration in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the optimal effect of PCA was observed at 1.5 mmol/L, and the cell migration rate increased in a time-dependent manner with treatment of PCA (1.5 mmol/L). RT-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed the elevation of membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MT1-MMP) mRNA expression in PCA-treated hADSCs. In cell supernatants of PCA-treated hADSCs, the active matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) increased compared with control cells, as detected by zymography. The results of antibody blocking experiments show that the promotion of cell migration by PCA is effectively and obviously inhibited by MT1-MMP or MMP-2 antibodies. Furthermore, after PCA treatment, hADSCs still retain their functional characteristics of multipotential mesenchymal progenitors. The cell migration enhancement of hADSCs with PCA suggests the possibility that PCA may be useful in hADSCs-mediated therapy.