Umbilical cord extracts improve osteoporotic abnormalities of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and promote their therapeutic effects on ovariectomised rats

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are the most valuable source of autologous cells for transplantation and tissue regeneration to treat osteoporosis. Although BM-MSCs are the primary cells responsible for maintaining bone metabolism and homeostasis, their regenerative ability may be attenuated in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. Therefore, we first examined potential abnormalities of BM-MSCs in an oestrogen-deficient rat model constructed by ovariectomy (OVX-MSCs). Cell proliferation, mobilisation, and regulation of osteoclasts were downregulated in OVX-MSCs. Moreover, therapeutic effects of OVX-MSCs were decreased in OVX rats. Accordingly, we developed a new activator for BM-MSCs using human umbilical cord extracts, Wharton’s jelly extract supernatant (WJS), which improved cell proliferation, mobilisation and suppressive effects on activated osteoclasts in OVX-MSCs. Bone volume, RANK and TRACP expression of osteoclasts, as well as proinflammatory cytokine expression in bone tissues, were ameliorated by OVX-MSCs activated with WJS (OVX-MSCs-WJ) in OVX rats. Fusion and bone resorption activity of osteoclasts were suppressed in macrophage-induced and primary mouse bone marrow cell-induced osteoclasts via suppression of osteoclast-specific genes, such as Nfatc1, Clcn7, Atp6i and Dc-stamp, by co-culture with OVX-MSCs-WJ in vitro. In this study, we developed a new activator, WJS, which improved the functional abnormalities and therapeutic effects of BM-MSCs on postmenopausal osteoporosis.