Human placenta mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes delay H2O2-induced aging in mouse cholangioids
Wenyi Chen, Jiaqi Zhu, Feiyan Lin, Yanping Xu, Bing Feng, Xudong Feng, Xinyu Sheng, Xiaowei Shi, Qiaoling Pan, Jinfeng Yang, Jiong Yu, Lanjuan Li, Hongcui Cao
Abstract
Abstract Background Cholangiocyte senescence is an important pathological process in diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Stem cell/induced pluripotent stem cell-derived exosomes have shown anti-senescence effects in various diseases. We applied novel organoid culture technology to establish and characterize cholangiocyte organoids (cholangioids) with oxidative stress-induced senescence and then investigated whether human placenta mesenchymal stem cell (hPMSC)-derived exosomes exerted a protective effect in senescent cholangioids. Methods We identified the growth characteristics of cholangioids by light microscopy and confocal microscopy. Exosomes were introduced concurrently with H 2 O 2 into the cholangioids. Using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining analyses, we assessed the expression patterns of the senescence markers p16 INK4a , p21 WAF1/Cip1 , and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) and then characterized the mRNA and protein expression levels of chemokines and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) components. Results Well-established cholangioids expressed cholangiocyte-specific markers. Oxidative stress-induced senescence enhanced the expression of the senescence-associated proteins p16 INK4a , p21 WAF1/Cip1 , and SA-β-gal in senescent cholangioids compared with the control group. Treatment with hPMSC-derived exosomes delayed the cholangioid aging progress and reduced the levels of SASP components (i.e., interleukin-6 and chemokine CC ligand 2). Conclusions Senescent organoids are a potential novel model for better understanding senescence progression in cholangiocytes. hPMSC-derived exosomes exert protective effects against senescent cholangioids under oxidative stress-induced injury by delaying aging and reducing SASP components, which might have therapeutic potential for PSC or PBC.