Autocrine BMP4 signaling involves effect of cholesterol myristate on proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells

We recently identified that cholesterol myristate in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the active compound that increases proliferation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs). The present study is further to determine what signal pathway involves in effect of cholesterol myristate. Reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot and ELISA analysis show that cholesterol myristate increases the release of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) from MSCs and the expression in the intracellular levels of BMP4 in a time- and dose dependent manner. However, structurally related steroids such as cholesterol and cholesten presented in TCM, both lack of the myristate, did not affect the secretion and expression of BMP4 on MSCs. These finds suggest that myristate is essential for the effects of cholesterol myristate. Furthermore, cholesterol myristate significantly increase BMPRIB levels of MSCs and the number of BMPRIB positive cells in a time- and dose dependent manner, but not BMPR IA or BMPR II. Our results indicate that action of cholesterol myristate may activate the BMP4–BMPRIB autocrine. Moreover, a blocking antibody against BMP4 or the BMP4 antagonist, noggin, partially reduced the effects of cholesterol myristate on MSCs proliferation. Thus, this study is to provide evidence that autocrine BMP4 signaling involves effect of cholesterol myristate on MSCs proliferation.