L-carnitine could contribute in NK cell differentiation of C-kit+ hematopoietic stem cells

L-carnitine could contribute in NK cell differentiation of C-kit+ hematopoietic stem cells
Ezzatollah Fathi,¹ Soheila Montazersaheb,² Raheleh Farahzadi,^3,*
1. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2. Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3. Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Introduction: The ability of NK cells to eliminate tumor or virus-infected cells without prior sensitization has made them attractive for cell therapy. Obtaining a large number of NK cells is an important, although difficult task that underlies the most significant challenge to the development of successful NK cell adoptive transfer protocols. NK cells can be differentiated from hematopoietic stem cells and can be used for immunotherapy after a short- or long-term expansion in vitro with interleukins such as IL-2, IL-7 and IL-15. Unfortunately, the NK cell differentiation efficiency is low outside the body and a large number of cells lost during transplantation to target tissues. As a matter of fact, using components such as antioxidant which cause to differentiation rate and minimum cell injury must be notified. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro effect of L-carnitine (LC) on NK cell differentiation of c-kit+ hematopoietic stem cells.
Methods: For this purpose, C-kit+ hematopoietic stem cells were enriched by MACS method. In the following, C-kit+ cells were divided in two groups; control group (C-kit+ cells cultured in the presence of NK cells differential factors such as SCF (kit ligand), FLT3 and IL-15) and experimental group (C-kit+ cells in the presence of NK cells differential factors and 0.2 mM l-carnitine). At the end of culture period (21 days), the protein expression of NK cells markers such as DX-5 and CD122 was investigated by western blotting.
Results: It was shown that the protein expression of NK cell markers DX-5 and CD122 NK were significantly increased in the experimental group in compared with control group.
Conclusion: It was concluded that the C-kit+ cells as hematopoietic progenitor cells could differentiate to NK cells. also, the significant role of l-carnitin in Nk cell differentiation of these cells was indicated by protein expression of DX-5 and CD122.
Keywords: NK cell differentiation, L-carnitin, C-kit+ hematopoietic stem cells, DX-5 and CD122 markers