Abstract
Stem cells and progenitor cells have been identified as potential new therapeutic options for severe limb ischemia to induce angiogenesis, and hyaluronic acid (HA) is commonly applied as a biomaterial in tissue engineering. However, the efficiency of HA combined with human umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) and human umbilical-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on angiogenesis is unclear. In the present study, we showed that HA promoted angiogenesis induced by MSCs-ECFCs in Matrigel plugs and promoted blood perfusion of murine ischemic muscles. Laser confocal microscopy revealed that human-derived cells grew into the host vasculature and formed connections, as shown by mouse-specific CD31(+)/human-specific CD31(+) double staining. In vitro assays revealed that HA supported cell proliferation and migration, enhanced CD44 expression and reduced microRNA (miR)-139-5p expression. Further analysis revealed that miR-139-5p expression was negatively regulated by CD44 in ECFCs. Flow cytometry assays showed that HA increased CD31 positive cells proportion in MSC-ECFC and could be reversed by miR-139-5p mimics transfection. Moreover, the improvement of MSC-ECFC proliferation and migration induced by HA could be blocked by upregulation of miR-139-5p expression. In conclusion, HA facilitates angiogenesis of MSCs-ECFCs, and this positive effect be associated with activation of the CD44/miR-139-5p pathway, providing a promising strategy for improving severe limb ischemia.