Figure 2 | Scientific Reports

Figure 2

From: Thrombospondin-1 secreted by human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells rescues neurons from synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease model

Figure 2

TSP-1 is a paracrine factor secreted by hUCB-MSCs under conditions of Aβ peptide-mediated AD pathogenesis. (A) Each conditioned medium used in the Transwell was analysed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify the relative quantity of secreted human TSP-1. hUCB-MSCs secreted TSP-1 in conditions with or without Aβ42 peptide treatment, unlike HEK293 cells (mean ± SEM, **p < 0.005, n = 3 per group). (B) To determine which cells secreted TSP-1 when co-cultured in the Transwell system, hippocampal neurons and hUCB-MSCs were co-cultured and then analysed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) by using a TSP-1-specific primer. (C) Each tissue section was stained with DAPI, anti-β2MG and anti-TSP-1 antibodies. The confocal images show merged green (β2MG, human-specific) and red (TSP-1) co-localisation in the hippocampal region (Scale bars = 50 μm). The boxed area was magnified and merged to analyse the co-localisation of β2MG-labelled hUCB-MSCs and TSP-1-secreting cells. (D) Expression levels of TSP-1 in the cerebrospinal fluid of three AD patients were analysed by ELISA, before and one day after administration of hUCB-MSCs.

Back to article page