title: Mesenchymal stromal cells are present in the heart and promote growth of adult stem cells in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For many years the human heart has been considered a terminally differentiated organ with no regenerative potential after injury. Recent studies, however, have cast doubt on this long-standing dogma. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of and characterize mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in the adult mouse heart. The impact of MSC on growth and differentiation of adult cardiac stem cells (CSC) was also analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A combination of lineage-negative/c-kit-negative (Lin(-)/c-kit(-)) immunoselection with a plastic-adhesion technique was used to isolate cardiac-derived MSC. The differentiation capacity and expression of surface markers were analyzed. To investigate the impact of MSC on growth and differentiation of adult CSC, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP(+)) adult CSC were co-cultured with GFP(-) cardiac-derived MSC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MSC were present in the adult mouse heart and they met the criteria established to define mouse MSC. They expressed surface markers and were able to differentiate, in a controlled manner, into multiple lineages. In addition, cardiac-derived MSC promoted the survival and expansion of adult CSC in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MSC can be isolated from the mouse heart and they promote growth and differentiation of adult CSC. The findings from this study could have a significant beneficial impact on future heart failure treatment. Co-culture and co-implantation of cardiac-derived MSC with adult CSC could provide extensive cardiac regeneration and maintenance of the CSC population after implanted into the heart.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery-Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53792-3236, USA. lushaj@surgery.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Entela B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Lushaj
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anstadt
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haworth
authors.forename: Drew
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roenneburg
authors.forename: Jaehyup
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Peiman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hematti
authors.forename: Takushi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohmoto
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology*