Ascorbic acid inhibits senescence in mesenchymal stem cells through ROS and AKT/mTOR signaling

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) aging seriously affects its function in stem cell transplantation for treatment. Extensive studies have focused on how to inhibit senescence in MSCs. However, the mechanism of senescence in MSC was not clear. In this study, we used d-galactose to induce MSC aging. Then we found that the number of aging cells was increased compared with untreated MSCs. We discovered that ascorbic acid could inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of AKT/mTOR signaling in MSCs caused by d-galactose. Especially, when treated together with a ROS scavenger or AKT inhibitor, the senescent cells were obviously decreased in d-galactose-induced MSCs. Taken together, we identify that ascorbic acid owns the potential to inhibit the senescence of MSCs through ROS and Akt/mTOR signaling. Together, our data supports that ascorbic acid can be used to prevent MSCs from senescence, which can enhance the efficiency of stem cell transplantation in the clinic.