J Vet Sci.  2024 Mar;25(2):e31. 10.4142/jvs.23267.

Isolation and characterization of feline endometrial mesenchymal stem cells

• Park MK
• Song KH

• KMID: 2554567
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.23267

Abstract

Background
Recently, there has been a growing interest in stem cells for human medicine. Limited feline endometrial mesenchymal stem cell (fEM-MSC) research in veterinary medicine necessitates reporting for future feline disease research and therapy.
Objectives
This study aimed to isolate fEM-MSCs from feline endometrial tissues and evaluate their morphology, proliferative ability, differentiation ability, and immunophenotype.
Methods
Feline endometrial tissues were obtained from the ovariohysterectomies of healthy cats and isolated using an enzymatic method. The morphology and proliferative ability of the isolated cells were assessed using a doubling time (DT) assay from passages 3 to 6 (P3 − P6). We measured pluripotency gene expressions of cells in P2 using quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). To investigate MSC characteristics, a trilineage differentiation assay was conducted in P4, and cells in P4 were immunophenotyped using flow cytometry.
Results
fEM-MSCs showed a typical spindle-shaped morphology under a microscope, and the DT was maintained from P3 to P6. fEM-MSCs could differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes, and expressed three pluripotency markers (OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG) by qRT-PCR. Immunophenotypic analysis showed that the fEM-MSCs were CD14⁻ , CD34⁻ , CD45⁻ , CD9⁺ , and CD44⁺ .
Conclusions
In this study, the feline endometrium was a novel source of MSCs, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the isolation method and characteristics of fEM-MSCs.

Keyword

Feline diseases; endometrium; mesenchymal stem cell; isolation; characterization