Research articles
ScienceAsia 51 (2026): 1-11 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2026.100
Effects of hypoxia-induced mesenchymal stem cell-derived
small extracellular vesicles on astrocytes subjected to
oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury
Ying Lyua,b,*, HongYan Wua, CunQuan Xionga, Xue Caoa, PinPin Luc, Wei Chenc, Pavithra Jayachandrand,
Sinouvassane Djearamanee, Yongming Zhuf, Yeong Hwang Tanb, Ling Shing Wongb
ABSTRACT: Astrocyte injury is closely associated with the development of various neurological diseases. However,
effective treatments remain limited. Given their nanoscale properties and capacity to penetrate the blood-brain
barrier, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are potential candidates for therapy of astrocyte injury. The present study
evaluated the neuroprotective potential of sEVs derived from rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs)
under hypoxicconditions. Using an in vitro model of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to mimic
ischemia-reperfusion injury, the effects of hypoxia-induced rBMSCs-derived sEVs (MSC-sEVs)oninjuredastrocyteswere
investigated. After treatment, the cell viability, inflammatory mediator expression, and apoptotic signaling pathways of
OGD/R-injured astrocytes were evaluated. The results showed that hypoxia-induced MSC-sEVs (H-sEVs) significantly
enhanced astrocyte viability and mitigated inflammatory responses via upregulation of miR-21 expression, compared
to the normal cultured rBMSCs-derived sEVs. The expression level of key pro-inflammatory mediators, including
inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and cyclooxygenase-2 were significantly
attenuated. Apoptotic activity in astrocytes was reduced whereas anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 protein expression
in astrocytes was increased. These findings suggest that H-sEV may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for
ischemic stroke and other neuroinflammatory conditions.
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| a |
Jiangsu Medicine College, Yancheng, Jiangsu 224005 China |
| b |
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan 71800 Malaysia |
| c |
Binhai County People?s Hospital, Binhai, Jiangsu 224500 China |
| d |
Department of Chemistry, Sri Ramakrishna College of Engineering, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu 641022 India |
| e |
Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar 31900 Malaysia |
| f |
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: lvying.1983@163.com
Received 11 Aug 2025, Accepted 3 Nov 2025
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