title: Microvascular endothelial cells remodel cultured adult cardiomyocytes and increase their survival.
abstract: We investigated the paracrine effect of cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) on cultured adult rat cardiomyocytes (ARC). ARC were exposed for 8 days to serum-free medium (CM) conditioned by MVEC. Controls were grown in FCS or FCS-free medium. Protein synthesis of CM-stimulated ARC increased twofold versus 5% FCS-stimulated cells until day 8. Seventy-nine percent of CM-treated myocytes survived, whereas only twenty-four percent of FCS-free ARC retained viability. The phenotype of myocytes exposed to CM was different from control. Analysis by confocal laser microscopy of CM-stimulated myocytes showed actin staining throughout the whole cell body up to the peripheral extensions, with concomitant appearance of myomesin in a cross-striated pattern. The reexpression of fetal alpha-smooth muscle actin determined immunohistochemically and by Western blot increased from day 6 in CM-treated cells, whereas ARC grown in up to 20% serum were negative. These effects could not be mimicked by any of the other cardioactive substances tested here, indicating a novel trophic factor in CM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Cardiology, Max Planck Institute, D-61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany. t.kubin@kerckhoff.mpg.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bramlage
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kostin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Veen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heling
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hein
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Breier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaper
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schaper
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood / Q000196:embryology; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D011506:Proteins; D013002:Somatomedins