Fig. 5

Functional characterization of AF-MSCs as renal cells. Regardless of differentiated or undifferentiated AF-MSC status, functional albumin endocytosis observed at significantly higher levels than in HFF1 and fetal MSCs (fMSC) when cells incubated with albumin at 37 °C (a). Activation of WNT signaling by supplementation with GSK3-inhibitor CHIR99021 led to differentiation into tubular looking cells, shown by phalloidin staining (b). WT1 localization switch from nucleus to cytoplasm, Nephrin expression retained and C-Kit and SIX2 expression decreased (c). Cell nuclei stained using Hoechst/DAPI. qRT-PCR of CHIR differentiated cells clearly showed downregulation of renal undifferentiated progenitor markers CD133, SIX2 and WT1 and upregulation of the differentiation marker BMP7 (d). AF-MSC amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cell, DMSO dimethylsulfoxide, fMSC fetal mesenchymal stem cell, HFF human foreskin fibroblast, HREpC human renal epithelial cell, w/o without