Das STEMMAT-Projekt als Teil der Gesundheitsinitiative BayernAktiv: Adulte Stammzellen aus Nabelschnur und -blut als Alternative zur embryonalen Stammzellforschung

In Vitro Induction of Endothelial Apoptosis of the Post-Hypoxic Blood-Brain Barrier by Isoflurane but Not by Sevoflurane and Midazolam

BACKGROUND

The effects of anesthetics on the injured brain continue to be the subject of controversial discussion. Since isoflurane has recently been shown to induce apoptosis of cerebral endothelial cells, this study compared different anesthetic compounds regarding their potential to induce cerebro-vascular apoptosis.

METHODS

The in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier used in this study consisted of astrocyte-conditioned human umbilical vein endothelial cells (AC-HUVEC) has been used. After 24 h of deep hypoxia and reoxygenation or control treatment, AC-HUVEC were exposed to 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 times the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane or sevoflurane, or 0, 75, 150, or 300 nM of midazolam for 2 h. After 24 h, AC-HUVEC were harvested, and the degree of apoptosis was assessed by means of Western blots for the Bax and Bcl-2 ratio and, for controls and the highest concentration groups, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL).

RESULTS

Without hypoxic pretreatment, 2.0 MAC of isoflurane slightly increased TUNEL intensity compared to control and sevoflurane, but without any significant changes in the Bax and Bcl-2 ratio. After hypoxic pretreatment, exposure to isoflurane led to a multifold increase in the Bax and Bcl-2 ratio in a dose dependent manner, which was also significantly higher than the ratio observed in the 2 MAC sevoflurane group. TUNEL intensity in the post-hypoxic 2 MAC isoflurane group was increased by a factor of 11 vs. control and by 40 vs. sevoflurane. Sevoflurane and midazolam did not significantly alter these markers of apoptosis, when compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Isoflurane administered after hypoxia elevates markers of apoptosis in endothelial cells transdifferentiated to the cerebro-vascular endothelium. Endothelial apoptosis may be a previously underestimated mechanism of anesthetic neurotoxicity. Administration of high concentrations of isoflurane in experimental settings may have negative effects on the blood-brain barrier.

Identification and Reduction of Cryoinjury in Endothelial Cells: A First Step toward Establishing a Cell Bank for Vascular Tissue Engineering

We analyzed a cryopreservation protocol which improves long-term storage of endothelial cells (EC) for tissue engineering purposes. Human umbilical vein EC were frozen in a high-potassium solution containing 10% dimethyl sulfoxide using 3 different cooling rates. After a storage time in liquid nitrogen of 1, 4, or 12 months, samples were thawed and compared to fresh cells in terms of growth rates, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant functions. Independent of cooling rate and storage time, the retrieval after cryopreservation ranged between 60% and 80%. However, viability of the cells cryopreserved at 10 degrees C/min decreased significantly from 78 +/- 5% to 64 +/-3% with storage. Storage time of 4 months resulted in a decreased cell multiplication factor over 4 and 12 days in culture. The lag phases returned to normal in the next passage. Thawed cells showed increased metabolic activity, reduced expression of thrombomodulin, and unchanged basal expression of adhesion molecules. However, the tumor necrosis factor-induced expression of adhesion molecules was significantly increased after long-term storage. This effect was partially compensated after expansion of the cells, whereas the prostacyclin release increased. Expansion of cryopreserved/thawed EC resulted in highly proliferative cells with antithrombotic properties and a capacity for inflammatory reactions, which makes them suitable for vascular tissue engineering.

Analysis and cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from umbilical cord blood

BACKGROUND

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an important source of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSC/HPC) for the reconstitution of the hematopoietic system after clinical transplantation. Cryopreservation of these cells is critical for UCB banking and transplantation as well as for research applications by providing readily available specimens. The objective of this study was to optimize cryopreservation conditions for CD34+ HSC/HPC from UCB.

METHODS

Cryopreservation of CD34+ HSC/HPC from UCB after mononuclear cell (MNC) preparation was tested in a research-scale setup. Experimental variations were concentration of the cryoprotectant, the protein additive and cell concentration. In addition, protocols involving slow, serial addition and removal of DMSO were compared with standard protocols (fast addition and removal of DMSO) in order to avoid osmotic stress for the cryopreserved cells. Viability and recoveries of MNC, CD34+ cells and total colony-forming units (CFU) were calculated as read-outs. In addition, sterility testing of the collected UCB units before further processing was performed.

RESULTS

The optimal conditions for cryopreservation of CD34+ HPC in MNC preparations were 10% DMSO and 2% human albumin at high cell concentrations (5 x 10(7) MNC/mL) with fast addition and removal of DMSO. After cryopreservation using a computer-controlled freezer, high viabilities (89%) and recoveries for CD34+ cells (89%) as well as for CFU (88%) were observed. Microbial contamination of the collected UCB samples was reduced to a rate of 6.4%.

DISCUSSION

Optimized cryopreservation conditions were developed for UCB MNC in respect of the composition of the cryosolution. In addition, our results showed that fast addition of DMSO is essential for improved cryopreservation and post-thaw quality assessment results, whereas the speed of DMSO removal after thawing has little influence on the recoveries of CD34+ cells and CFU.