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Differential functional roles of fibroblasts and pericytes in the formation of tissue-engineered microvascular networks in vitro

ABSTRACT: Aims: Formation of a perfusable microvascular network (μVN) is critical for tissue engineering of solid organs. Stromal cells can support endothelial cell (EC) self-assembly into a μVN, but distinct stromal cell populations may play different roles in this process. Here we investigated the effects that two widely used stromal cells populations, fibroblasts (FBs) and pericytes (PCs), have on μVN formation. Methods and results: We examined the effects of adding defined stromal cell populations on the self-assembly of ECs derived from human endothelial colony forming cells (HECFCs) into perfusable μVNs in fibrin gels cast within a microfluidics chamber. ECs alone fail to fully assemble a perfusable μVN. Human lung FBs stimulate the formation of EC lined μVNs within microfluidic devices. RNA-seq analysis suggested that FBs produce high levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and addition of recombinant HGF improved μVN formation within devices. Human placental PCs could not substitute for FBs, but in the presence of FBs, PCs closely associated with ECs, formed a common basement membrane, extend microfilaments intercellularly, and reduced microvessel diameters. Conclusions: Different stromal cell types provide different functions in microvessel assembly by ECs. FBs support μVN formation by providing paracrine growth factors whereas PCs directly interact with ECs to modify microvascular morphology.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE122389 | GEO | 2019/12/31

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The microcirculation serves crucial functions in adult heart that are distinct from those carried out by epicardial vessels. Microvessels are also governed by unique regulatory mechanisms, impairment of which leads to microvessel-specific pathology. While great progress has been made in understanding and treating coronary artery disease (CAD), there are few treatment options for patients with microvascular heart disease, primarily due to our limited understanding of underlying pathology. The advent of high-throughput analytical approaches of mRNA and protein expression in specific cells provides an opportunity to transform our understanding of microvessel biology and disease at the molecular level. Understanding responses of individual microvascular cells to the same physiological or pathophysiological stimuli requires the ability to isolate the specific cell types that comprise the functional units of the microcirculation in an adult heart, preferably from the same heart, to ensure that different cells have been exposed to the same in-vivo conditions. Furthermore, in-vitro functional and molecular analysis requires an integrated workflow that combines primary cell culture with high-throughput proteomic or transcriptomic analysis. Our goal was an integrated process for simultaneous isolation, culture, and proteomic profiling of the three main cell types comprising the microcirculation in adult mouse heart: endothelial cells (ECs), pericytes (PCs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We developed an integrated platform for simultaneous isolation and culture of ECs, PCs and VSMCs from adult mouse heart, coupled with unbiased mass spectrometry (MS)-based characterization of protein expression in these cells. We defined microvascular cell proteomes, identified novel protein markers and confirmed established cell-specific markers. Isolating and analyzing microvascular cell types separately from the same preparation of adult mouse hearts allowed for separate investigations into the unique contributions of the different cell types to health and disease, and interactions among different cell types.

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Differential functional roles of fibroblasts and pericytes in the formation of tissue-engineered microvascular networks in vitro

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