Dyslipidemia induced by lipid diet in late gestation donor impact on growth kinetics and in vitro potential differentiation of umbilical cord Wharton’s Jelly mesenchymal stem cells in goats

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from the umbilical cord (UC) have several attractive properties for clinical use. This study aimed to verify the impact of a lipid-rich diet during late gestation of donor goats on the growth and differentiation of MSCs from UC. From the 100th day of pregnancy to delivery, 22 goats were grouped based on their diet into the donor-lipid (DLD; n = 11) and donor-baseline (DBD; n = 11) diet groups. Diets were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, differing in fat content (2.8% vs. 6.3% on a dry matter basis). Wharton’s jelly (WJ) fragments were cultured. After primary culture, samples of WJ-MSCs were characterized by the expression of CD90, CD73, CD34, CD45, CD105, and Fas genes, mitochondrial activity using MitoTracker (MT) fluorescence probe, and growth kinetics. Population doubling time (PDT) was also determined. WJ-MSCs were differentiated into chondrocytes, adipocytes and osteocytes, and the mineralized area and adipocytes were determined. The lipid diet significantly increased triglyceride and cholesterol levels during pregnancy. The DLD group showed sub-expression of the CD90 gene, a high MT intensity, and a low proliferation rate at the end of the subculture. The mean PDT was 83.9 ± 1.3 h. Mineralized area and lipid droplet stain intensity from osteogenic and adipogenic differentiations, respectively, were greater in DLD. We conclude that in donor goats, dietary dyslipidemia during late pregnancy affects the ability of UC-derived MSCs to express their developmental potential in vitro, thus limiting their possible use for therapeutic purposes.