Melanoma cell adhesion molecule-positive mesenchymal stromal cells alleviate acute respiratory distress syndrome via nuclear factor kappa-B-mediated paracrine regulation

Figure 3 Biological characteristics of the CD146+/- mesenchymal stromal cell subpopulation. A: CD146+ mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and CD146- MSCs were isolated via magnetic bead sorting, and the proportion of CD146+ and CD146- MSCs increased from 32.1% to 68.7%; B: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis of hepatocyte growth factor, prostaglandin E2, angiopoietin-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in MSCs; C: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured alone or with either CD146+ MSCs or CD146- MSCs. Cord formation was evaluated at 5 hours post-seeding. Junctions and nodes were quantified at 5 hours and compared with those in the human umbilical vein endothelial cell-only group; D: In vitro immunomodulation by CD146+ MSCs and CD146- MSCs. T helper type 1/T helper type 17/regulatory T cells were cocultured with CD146+ MSCs and CD146- MSCs for 18 hours/3 days. T-cell analysis was performed via flow cytometry. The data are presented as the means ± SD and were analyzed via two-sided Student’s t tests. n = 3, ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001, ^dP < 0.0001. NC: Negative control; MSC: Mesenchymal stromal cell; HGF: Hepatocyte growth factor; PGE2: Prostaglandin E2; Ang-1: Angiopoietin-1; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; Th1: T helper type 1; Th17: T helper type 17; Treg: Regulatory T; IFN: Interferon; IL: Interleukin.