Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells alleviate oxidative stress-induced islet impairment via the Nrf2/HO-1 axis

J Mol Cell Biol. 2023 Nov 27;15(5):mjad035. doi: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad035.

Abstract

Hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress may disrupt insulin secretion and β-cell survival in diabetes mellitus by overproducing reactive oxygen species. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) exhibit antioxidant properties. However, the mechanisms by which hUC-MSCs protect β-cells from high glucose-induced oxidative stress remain underexplored. In this study, we showed that intravenously injected hUC-MSCs engrafted into the injured pancreas and promoted pancreatic β-cell function in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The in vitro study revealed that hUC-MSCs attenuated high glucose-induced oxidative stress and prevented β-cell impairment via the Nrf2/HO-1 signalling pathway. Nrf2 knockdown partially blocked the anti-oxidative effect of hUC-MSCs, resulting in β-cell decompensation in a high-glucose environment. Overall, these findings provide novel insights into how hUC-MSCs protect β-cells from high glucose-induced oxidative stress.

Keywords: Nrf2; mesenchymal stem cells; oxidative stress; type 1 diabetes; β-cell protection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells* / metabolism
  • Mice
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2* / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Umbilical Cord

Substances

  • Glucose
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • HMOX1 protein, human
  • NFE2L2 protein, human