PGC-1α attenuates the oxidative stress-induced impaired osteogenesis and angiogenesis regulation effects of mesenchymal stem cells in the presence of diabetic serum

Oxidative stress is believed to induce dysfunction of the bone remodeling process and be associated with progressive loss of bone mass. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is a master controller during mitochondrial biogenesis and the antioxidant response. We postulated that PGC-1α could function as a cyto-protective effector in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) under oxidative stress conditions. In this study, diabetic serum was firstly used to treat MSCs to induce oxidative damage. The anti-oxidative protective effects of PGC-1α overexpression on MSCs, as well as MSCs’ osteogenesis and angiogenic regulation effects were investigated in vitro. Results showed that diabetic conditions induced significantly increase of intracellular oxidative damage and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening activity, decrease of cellular viability, and osteogenic differentiation and pro-angiogenic regulation effects of MSCs. However, the diabetic conditions induced oxidative impair on MSCs were significantly alleviated via PGC-1α overexpression under diabetic conditions. Taken together, this study indicates the anti-oxidative treatment potential of PGC-1α regulation as a promising strategy to promote coupling pro-osteogenesis and pro-angiogenesis effects of MSCs.