title: Effect of ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 on normal and variant human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro: its benefits in hESC expansion.
abstract: The Rho associated coiled coil protein kinase (ROCK) dependent signaling pathway plays an important role in numerous physiological functions such as cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and inflammation. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) undergo differentiation and poor survival after single cell dissociation in culture thus limiting their expansion for cell based therapies. We evaluated the role of the selective ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 on hESC colonies and disassociated single hESCs from two different hESC lines. Karyotypically normal hESCs (HES3) and variant hESCs (BG01V) were treated with Y-27632 at 5, 10 and 20 muM concentrations for 72 h and its effects on hESC self renewal, colony morphology, cell cycle and pluripotency were evaluated. Increased cell proliferation of both HES3 and BG01V were observed for all three concentrations compared to untreated controls following passaging of cell clusters or dissociated single cells and some of these increases were statistically significant. Cell cycle assay demonstrated normal cell cycle progression with no peaks evident of apoptosis. No morphological differentiation was evident following treatment with the highest concentration of Y-27632 (20 muM) and the stemness related genes continued to be highly expressed in both HES3 and BG01V cells compared to untreated controls. The results confirmed that Y-27632 is a useful agent that aids in the expansion of undifferentiated hESC numbers for downstream applications in regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119074, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kalamegam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gauthaman
authors.forename: Chui-Yee
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Ariff
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bongso
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D051379:Mice; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; C108830:Y 27632; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases