Evaluating Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in Mouse DCs

Purpose: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells and recent findings suggest immunomodulatory effect of them on immune cells including T cells and dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are the most potent antigen presenting cells. It seems because of immunoregulatory properties of MSCs, they can affect the maturation and differentiation of DCs. DCs express a kind of surface receptors called toll-like receptors (TLRs) and play a key role in maturation process and activation of DCs. The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of TLR2 and TLR4 on DCs after exposure to mesenchymal stem cell’s supernatant in culture media containing LPS and devoid of it.

Methods: In this experimental study, MSCs and DCs were extracted from adult Balb/c mouse bone marrow and spleen, respectively. MSCs supernatant were collected 24 and 48 h after 5th passage, and in adjusted with DCs culture. Isolated DCs were co-cultured with MSCs supernatant, incubation time were 24 and 48 hours. mRNA levels of TLR2 and TLR4 were evaluated using real time PCR technique.

Results: The results demonstrated that although, expressions of these two receptors were up-regulated in culture media lacking LPS in comparison with the control group but the increase was not significant. There were no significant associations between LPS stimulated DCs with and without MSCs supernatants.

Conclusion: According to the results presented here, it appears that TLR2 and TLR4 gene expressions on the DCs are not affected by MSCs supernatant.