Differentiation Of Human Umbilical Cord Wharton’s Jelly-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Into Steroidogenic Cells In Vitro

Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is essential for steroid synthesis as a ubiquitous transcription factor of steroidogenic enzymes, as well as for adrenal and gonadal gland development. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) can self-renew, are multipotent cells and can differentiate into many different cells under certain induction conditions. In this study, UC-MSCs were induced into steroidogenic cells and compared with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs).UC-MSCs showed similar morphology and similar level of the typical MSC marker expression compared with BM-MSCs, and they both can differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes. However, UC-MSCs showed higher proliferative potential than BM-MSCs.Primary cultured UC-MSCs and BM-MSCs infected with adenovirus mouse SF-1 cDNA could produce cortisol and testosterone. Such a mixed character of adrenal and gonadal steroid production in MSCs was supported by the expression of 3β-HSD, LHR, ACTH-R, 17β-HSD, P450SCC and P450C21 mRNAs. Both Real-Time RT-PCR and the measurement of the steroid content demonstrated that UC-MSCs had greater steroidogenic differentiation potential than BM-MSCs after steroidogenic differentiation.In summary, UC-MSCs have higher proliferation capacity and greater steroidogenic differentiation potential than BM-MSCs. In addition, UC-MSCs can be obtained more easily and are less likely rejected if they are implanted as engineered tissues. These results demonstrated that UC-MSCs can be favorable choice for adrenal insufficiency or hypgonadism than BM-MSCs.