title: Chemical and physical stimuli induce cardiomyocyte differentiation  from stem cells.
abstract: In this study we investigated cardiomyocyte differentiation of rat bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) by treating the stem cells with conditions mimicking that of myocardial infarction. The extract from infarcted rat myocardium contained the biochemical factors arising after infarction. The cardiac contraction and relaxation were simulated by applying 4% strain at 1 Hz to the stem cells. We found that the extract from infarcted myocardium or 4% strain each alone could induce cardiomyocyte differentiation of BM-MSCs, as shown by expression of cardiomyocyte-specific genes including alpha-actin, connexin 43, Nkx2.5, MEF2c, GATA4, alpha-MHC, and Troponin I. Furthermore, a combination of the extract and 4% strain had stronger effects on cardiomyocyte differentiation than what either treatment alone had. Our results suggest that this in vitro model system simulates the local cardiac environment cues after infarction and may be useful in identifying the biochemical and physical factors involved in cardiomyocyte differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, West China Center of Medical Sciences, Sichuan University, No. 3-17 Ren Min Nan Lu Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Dongxia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qiufen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Yingkang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Huaiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002457:Cell Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D046508:Culture Techniques; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000378:metabolism; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002457:Cell Extracts; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1