title: All-trans retinoic acid promotes smooth muscle cell differentiation of rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent stem cells, an attractive resource for regenerative medicine. Accumulating evidence suggests that all-trans retinoic acid plays a key role in the development and differentiation of smooth muscle cells. In the present study, we demonstrate, for the first time, that rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into smooth muscle cells upon the treatment with all-trans retinoic acid. All-trans retinoic acid increased the expression of myocardin, caldesmon, 22-kDa smooth muscle cell-specific protein (SM22alpha), and SM-myosin heavy chains in rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, as detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Immunostaining of SM22alpha and SM-myosin heavy chains using monoclonal antibodies also indicated smooth muscle cell differentiation of rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells following the treatment with all-trans retinoic acid. In addition, more than 47% of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated the contractile phenotype of smooth muscle cells. Western blot results showed that SM-1 and SM-2 were highly expressed in the differentiated cells. These results suggest that all-trans retinoic acid may serve as a potent agent for functional smooth muscle cell differentiation in tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D024745:Smooth Muscle Myosins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000099251:Myocardin
chemical_list: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D024745:Smooth Muscle Myosins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014212:Tretinoin; D000099251:Myocardin; C051615:transgelin