Erythropoietin Treatment Enhanced Cell Surface CXCR4 Expression On Neonatal CD34-Positive Cells

Abstract 4724

Erythropoietin (EPO), which is used to treat anemic immature neonates, is thought to be effective for treating neonatal hypoxic encephalopathy by stimulating nervous system cells or vascular stem cells. On stem cells, CXCR4 is an important chemokine receptor for cell migration and proliferation. Previously, we reported that increased expression of CXCR4 on cord blood (CB)-derived CD34-positive cells, caused by low oxygen tension, enhanced cell homing activity and engraftment (Ohno et al., ASH. 2010). In human endothelial stem cells, CXCR4 expression is controlled by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and EPO expression is enhanced by hypoxia via HIF-1α. In this study, we examined the effect of EPO treatment on CXCR4 expression on premature neonatal endothelial stem cells and cultured CB-derived CD34-positive cells.

First, we examined the cell surface markers CD34, CD133, and CXCR4 in preterm infants diagnosed with anemia and treated with EPO. The 10 enrolled neonates were first administered EPO when they were over 32 weeks old and were not given oxygen therapy. Blood samples were collected twice before and once 24 h after EPO administration. Mononuclear cells were isolated from peripheral blood and stained for the hematopoietic stem cell marker CD34, vascular endothelial progenitor cell marker CD133, and surface CXCR4. The cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. No change in the proportions of CD34- and CD133-positive cells were found after the treatment (CD34 positive: 0.59%→0.57%; CD133 positive: 0.52%→0.49%). The proportion of cell surface CXCR4 on the CD133-positive cells did not change after EPO administration, whereas the proportion of cell surface CXCR4 on the CD34-positive cells increased significantly after EPO was administered (average: 7.6%→11.0%, p < 0.01). In particular, slightly CD34-positive cells showed enhanced cell surface CXCR4.

Next, we examined CXCR4 enhancement in EPO-treated CB-derived CD34-positive enriched samples. Samples were divided into three aliquots and cultured. The first aliquot was incubated for 24 h in RPMI-1640 medium alone as a control; the second, for 24 h in RPMI-1640 medium with EPO (10 U/ml); and the third, for 24 h in RPMI-1640 medium with EPO (10 U/ml) containing the specific HIF-1 antagonist rapamycin. Flow cytometry revealed significantly increased surface CXCR4 expression on CD34-positive cells after incubation with EPO compared with the control expression (average: 51.7% vs. 30.3%, p< 0.05). This enhancement was inhibited completely by the addition of rapamycin. Intracellular HIF-1 was enhanced significantly in the EPO-treated cells compared with the control expression on flow cytometry.

The enhanced CXCR4 expression on CD34-positive cells reflects an amplification of the chemotactic and homing abilities of stem cells. The CXCR4 enhancement caused by EPO may increase tissue migration of CD34-positive cells, although this is probably a result of an active HIF-1 pathway.