Environmental Benzopyrene Attenuates Stemness of Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

Figure 5

StemRegenin 1 (SR1) maintains placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cell (PD-MSC) activity and decreases BP-induced apoptosis. (a) The expression levels of AhR were determined by RT-PCR after treatment of 1 μM BP and 1 μM BP with 1 μM SR1 for 7 days, respectively. One representative of 3 independent experiments is shown. Expression levels relative to GAPDH are shown. (−) indicates a negative control using water alone. (b) The concentration of AhR was analyzed by ELISA after treatment of 1 μM BP and 1 μM BP with 1 μM SR1 for 7 days, respectively. The data are expressed as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. . (c) The proliferative activity of PD-MSCs was measured by EZ-CYTOX after treatment of 1 μM BP and 1 μM BP with 1 μM SR1 for 7 days, respectively. The data are expressed as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. . (d) Culture of PD-MSCs with 1 μM SR1 prevents cellular senescence (scale bar, 200 μm; magnification, 100x). One representative of 3 independent experiments is shown. The number of β-gal positive cells was enumerated after 4 weeks. The data are expressed as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. . (e) Confocal microscopy images were collected after treatment of 1 μM BP and 1 μM BP with 1 μM SR1 for 7 days, respectively. One representative of 3 independent experiments is shown (scale bar, 20 μm; magnification, 200x). (f) RT-PCR analysis revealed diminished expression of caspase-3 in treatment of 1 μM BP with 1 μM SR1. The data are expressed as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments.

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