Cardiac side population cells exhibit endothelial differentiation potential.
Recent studies have shown that side population (SP) cells, isolated from adult myocardium, represent a distinct cardiac progenitor cell population that exhibits functional cardiomyogenic differentiation. However, information on the intrinsic characteristics and endothelial potential, of cardiac SP cells, is limited. The present study was designed to investigate whether cardiac SP cells exhibit endothelial differentiation potential. The cardiac SP cells more highly expressed the early cardiac transcription factors as well as endothelial cell markers compared to the bone marrow-SP cells. After treatment with VEGF, for 28 days, cardiac SP cells were able to differentiate into endothelial cells expressing von Willebrand factor as determined by immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, expression of endothelial cell markers increased several-fold in VEGF-treated cardiac SP cells compared to the control group when assessed by real-time PCR. We also confirmed that cardiac SP cells provided a significantly augmented ratio of ischemic/normal blood flow, in the cardiac SP cell-transplanted group compared with saline-treated controls on postoperative days 7, 14, 21 and 28, in a murine model. These results show that cardiac SP cells may contribute to regeneration of injured heart tissues partly by transdifferentiation into angiogenic lineages.
Department of Cardiology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 136-705, Korea.
Jihyun
J
Yoon
Seung Cheol
SC
Choi
Chi Yeon
CY
Park
Wan Joo
WJ
Shim
Do-Sun
DS
Lim
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000494:pharmacology
D017931:DNA Primers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A