The influence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases on the morphofunctional properties of mesenchymal stem cells

Today, the contribution of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to the mechanism of development of pathologies such as calcification of heart valves and blood vessels is being actively discussed. This is due to the fact that the formation of calcifications in the cardiovascular system (CVS) repeats the process of ossification, that is, it is mediated by specific bone cells - osteocytes. Since MSCs are progenitor cells capable of multilineage differentiation, they are considered as a source of osteocytes in the cardiovascular system. The question of what stimuli activate the osteogenesis program in MSCs localized in the CVS organs remains open. The presence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has a systemic effect on the body, as it contributes to the development of pathological processes such as hypoxia and inflammation, which lead to remodeling of the MSC niche and changes in their function. This review systematizes scientific studies devoted to the influence of modifiable and non-modifiable CVD risk factors on the morphofunctional properties of MSCs.

The purpose of this review is to systematize existing knowledge about the role of modifiable and non-modifiable CVD risk factors in changing the morphology and function of MSCs.

The functioning of MSCs depends on the age of the donor and the duration of their cultivation in vitro, due to the activation of cellular aging processes. The influence of gender on MSCs is controversially described in the literature; however, there is evidence of the participation of estrogen in regulating the balance between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of progenitor cells. The presence of comorbid conditions such as hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and diabetes mellitus contribute to the acceleration of cellular aging, modification of the MSC phenotype, and influence the activity of their proliferation and differentiation potential. Thus, the complex of pathological processes accompanying obesity and diabetes mellitus leads to a decrease in the differentiated potential of MSCs, and also induces the expression of genes that are markers of cellular aging. An increase in the concentration of cholesterol esters in the microenvironment of MSCs induces a program of osteogenic differentiation in them, and exposure to high density lipoproteins (HDL) has a positive effect on proliferation. Cigarette smoke activates stem cell apoptosis, reduces proliferation, and induces osteogenesis.

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