Home > Browse Issues > Vol.38 No.11
Icariin-Mediated Differentiation of Menstrual Blood-Derived Endometrial Stem Cells into Cardiomyocyte-Like Cells
Yang Fen, Liu Yanli*, Yan Yan, Zhang Dalin, Ji Xiang, Lin Juntang*
College of Life Science and Technology, Henan Key Lab of Medical Tissue Regeneration,Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China
Abstract: Application of safe agents to effectively predifferentiate stem cells into cardiomyocyte-like cells would strength the stem cell-based therapies for heart diseases. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of icariin (ICA) on the cardiogenic differentiation of menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenESC). MTT and wound healing assays are used to investigate the effect of ICA on the proliferation and migration of MenESC.Furthermore， RT-PCR and specific fluorescence staining are performed to examine the expression of cardiacspecific transcription factors myocyte enhancer factor-2C (MEF-2C)， NK2 transcription factor related locus 5 (Nkx2.5) and GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) and cardiac-specific marker human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP)，cardiac tropomin I (cTnI) and cardiac tropomin T (cTnT) in MenESC treated with ICA or/and 5azacytidine (5azaC).Our results demonstrated that ICA had no negative effect on the proliferation and migration of MenESC. Icariin and 5azaC treatment could significantly up-regulate the gene expression of MEF-2C， Nkx2.5， GATA4， hANP， cTnI and cTnT in MenESC. Meanwhile， cardiogenic differentiation was also confirmed by the positive expression of cTnT in MenESC treated with ICA and 5azaC. These results confirmed the safety and effects of cardiogenic differentiation of MenESC treated with ICA， and provided support for the stem cell-based therapies for heart diseases.
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