Effects of increased proliferation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells by sphingosylphosphorylcholine on the survival of cryopreserved fat grafts

Abstract

The use of cryopreserved adipose tissue for soft-tissue augmentation is common, but the unpredictability of fat graft viability remains a limitation. Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSC) have been introduced to enhance viability and improve the survival of transplanted fat tissue. Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is a bioactive lipid molecule involved in various cellular responses. SPC stimulates the proliferation of various cell types such as hADSC. We demonstrated the effects of hADSC and SPC on the survival of cryopreserved fat grafts in nude mice. The cryopreserved fat grafts were treated with hADSC or hADSC+SPC, and a normal saline (control) mixture in BALB/c male nude mice. We examined the weight and volume of the mice in each group (n=11) at 8 weeks after transplantation to evaluate the survival of the fat tissue. The hADSC group showed increased weight and volume compared with the control group. The hADSC+SPC group showed a higher survival rate in terms of weight and volume than the control or hADSC group. In addition, the hADSC+SPC treatment significantly increased the expression of angiogenic factors. These results suggest the potential clinical utility of hADSC+SPC.