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Comparison in Expression of Specific Myocardiac Proteins in Developing Myocardium and Differentiated Cardiac Stem Cells
Qi-Zhi He1,2, Yu-Zhen Tan1*, Hai-Jie Wang1, Li-Li Sun1
1Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China;2Department of Pathology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200040, China
Abstract: To explore the possibility of transplantation of marrow-derived cardiac stem cells (MCSCs) for repairing the ischemic myocardium， expression features of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and connexin-43 (Cx-43) in the developing rat myocardium and the cardiomyocytes differentiated from marrow-derived cardiac stem cells (MCSCs) induced by bone morphogenesis protein-2 (BMP-2) were investigated. Expression of cTnT mRNA in the myocardium increased gradually from embryonic rats to adult rats. After induction with BMP-2 for one week， cTnT mRNA of the cells was detected. In week 3 and week 4 after induction， expression of cTnT mRNA of the cells increased significantly. In immunostaining， the cells induced for two weeks expressed cTnT. In week 3 and week 4 after induction， the cells appeared transverse striation-like structures. Cx-43 mRNA was detected in E11 rats. On day 7 after birth， expression of Cx-43 mRNA reached the peak. Then， Cx-43 mRNA expression decreased gradually. In day 17， it trended stable. Cx-43 protein expressed mostly beneath the cell membrane in embryonic period and at cell junctions from day 10 after birth. Changes in expression Cx-43 mRNA were similar with that of cTnT mRNA expression in the cells induced with BMP-2. Expression of Cx-43 protein was observed in week 2 after induction， Cx-43 protein expressed at cell junctions from week 3 to week 4 after induction. These results demonstrate that MCSCs may differentiate into cardiomyocytes under induction with BMP-2. The structural characteristics of differentiated ells are similar with that of mature cardiomyocytes. Therefore， MCSCs are desirable cells for cell transplantation therapy of ischemic heart diseases.
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