Bone mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles delivered miR let-7-5p alleviate endothelial glycocalyx degradation and leakage via targeting ABL2

BACKGROUND: Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) is an active player and treatment target in inflammatory-related vascular leakage. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs) are promising potential treatments for leakage; however, the therapeutic effect and mechanism of bMSC on EG degradation needs to be elucidated. METHODS: EG degradation and leakage were evaluated in both lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice ear vascular leakage model and LPS-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) model treated with bMSCs. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were extracted from bMSCs and the containing microRNA profile was analyzed. EV and miR let-7-5p were inhibited to determine their function in the therapeutic process. The ABL2 gene was knockdown in HUVECs to verify its role as a therapeutic target in EG degradation. RESULTS: bMSCs treatment could alleviate LPS-induced EG degradation and leakage in vivo and in vitro, whereas EVs/let-7-5p-deficient bMSCs were insufficient to reduce EG degradation. LPS down-regulated the expression of let-7-5p while upregulated endothelial expression of ABL2 in HUVECs and induced EG degradation and leakage. bMSC-EVs uptaken by HUVECs could deliver let-7-5p targeting endothelial ABL2, which suppressed the activation of downstream p38MAPK and IL-6, IL-1β levels, and thus reversed LPS-induced EG degradation and leakage. CONCLUSION: bMCSs alleviate LPS-induced EG degradation and leakage through EV delivery of miR let-7-5p targeting endothelial ABL2. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-023-01229-7.