Mathews Vikram, Hanson Piia T, Ford Eric, Fujita Jun, Polonsky Kenneth S, Graubert Timothy A
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stem Cell Biology Section, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Diabetes. 2004 Jan;53(1):91-8. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.53.1.91.
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are detectable in the blood and bone marrow throughout life. These cells contribute to new blood vessel formation (neovascularization) in physiological states such as wound healing and in pathological states such as tumor angiogenesis. We hypothesized that bone marrow-derived EPCs could play a role in the response to pancreatic islet cell injury. We used a murine model of experimentally induced beta-cell injury followed by transplantation with genetically marked bone marrow cells. Bone marrow-derived cells were detectable throughout the pancreas after transplantation. Whereas the total number of bone marrow-derived cells in the pancreas decreased over time, the frequency of endothelial cells (of both donor and recipient origin) increased after transplantation in the animals in which beta-cell injury had been induced. There was no evidence in this model that bone marrow-derived cells differentiated into insulin-expressing cells. This study provides evidence that bone marrow-derived EPCs are recruited to the pancreas in response to islet injury. EPC-mediated neovascularization of the pancreas could in principle be exploited to facilitate the recovery of non-terminally injured beta-cells or to improve the survival and/or function of islet allografts.
内皮祖细胞（EPCs）在一生中均可在血液和骨髓中被检测到。这些细胞在诸如伤口愈合等生理状态以及诸如肿瘤血管生成等病理状态下有助于新血管形成（新生血管化）。我们推测骨髓来源的EPCs可能在胰腺胰岛细胞损伤的反应中发挥作用。我们使用了一种实验性诱导β细胞损伤的小鼠模型，随后移植基因标记的骨髓细胞。移植后在整个胰腺中均可检测到骨髓来源的细胞。尽管胰腺中骨髓来源细胞的总数随时间减少，但在诱导了β细胞损伤的动物中，移植后内皮细胞（供体和受体来源）的频率增加。在该模型中没有证据表明骨髓来源的细胞分化为表达胰岛素的细胞。这项研究提供了证据，表明骨髓来源的EPCs在胰岛损伤时被募集到胰腺。原则上，EPC介导的胰腺新生血管化可被用于促进未终末损伤的β细胞的恢复或改善胰岛同种异体移植物的存活和/或功能。
