title: Wnt1 inhibits hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in mouse cardiac stem cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of their regenerative and paracrine abilities, cardiac stem cells (CSCs) are the most appropriate, optimal and promising candidates for the development of cardiac regenerative medicine strategies. However, native and exogenous CSCs in ischemic hearts are exposed to various pro-apoptotic or cytotoxic factors preventing their regenerative and paracrine abilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We examined the effects of H2O2 on mouse CSCs (mCSCs), and observed that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment induces mCSCs apoptosis via the caspase 3 pathway, in a dose-dependent manner. We then examined the effects of Wnt1 over-expression on H2O2-induced apoptosis in mCSCs and observed that Wnt1 significantly decreased H2O2-induced apoptosis in mCSCs. On the other hand, inhibition of the canonical Wnt pathway by the secreted frizzled related protein 2 (SFRP2) or knockdown of β-catenin in mCSCs reduced cells resistance to H2O2-induced apoptosis, suggesting that Wnt1 predominantly prevents H2O2-induced apoptosis through the canonical Wnt pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide the first evidences that Wnt1 plays an important role in CSCs' defenses against H2O2-induced apoptosis through the canonical Wnt1/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Province Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jingjin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yongshun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenjuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Maomao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide