Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 2006 September; 27 (9): 1153-1158; doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7254.2006.00436.x

Aim: To explore whether bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can differentiate into myocardial-like cells induced by myocardial medium, especially the hypoxia/reoxygenation-conditioned medium of cardiomyocytes.

Methods: Myocardial cells obtained from neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat ventricles were isolated and cultured in vitro and a hypoxia reoxygenation model was established. The MSC isolated from adult Sprague-Dawley rats were purified and then incubated with 3 different mediums: medium A - the conditioned medium of normal cardiomyocytes; medium B - the conditioned medium of cardiomyocytes after hypoxia reoxygenation; and the control medium - ordinary medium. The expressions of the cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC), troponin T (TnT) and connexin 43 were investigated in the MSC after 24 h, 48 h and 72 h cultivation, respectively.

Results: The MSC expressed MHC and TnT when incubated with the conditioned medium of cardiomyocytes after hypoxia reoxygenation, but did not express connexin 43. None of MHC, TnT and connexin 43 was detected in the MSC incubated with the conditioned medium of normal cardiomyocytes.

Conclusion: The results indicate for the first time that myocardial medium for hypoxic preconditioning can induce MSC differentiation into myocardial-like cells.

Keywords: bone marrow; mesenchymal stem cells; cardiomyocyte; hypoxia; reoxygenation