Journal
STEM CELLS AND DEVELOPMENT
Volume 21, Issue 1, Pages 67-75Publisher
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC
DOI: 10.1089/scd.2010.0519
Keywords
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [30840053, 81000181]
- Jiangsu Province's Outstanding Medical Academic Leader Program [LJ200614]
- Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [BE2010703, BK2007092, BK2008232]
- Sci-tech InnovationTeam and Talents of Jiangsu University [2008-018-02]
- Foundation of the Jiangsu Province for transfer of scientific and technological achievements [BA2009124]
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5-Azacytidine (5-Aza) induces differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into cardiomyocytes. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Our previous work showed that 5-Aza induces human bone marrow-derived MSCs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Here, we demonstrated that 5-Aza induced cardiac differentiation of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hucMSCs) and explored the potential signaling pathway. Our results showed that hucMSCs had cardiomyocyte phenotypes after 5-Aza treatment. In addition, myogenic cells differentiated from hucMSCs were positive for mRNA and protein of desmin, beta-myosin heavy chain, cardiac troponin T, A-type natriuretic peptide, and Nkx2.5. Human diploid lung fibroblasts treated with 5-Aza expressed no cardiac-specific genes. 5-Aza did not induce hucMSCs to differentiate into osteoblasts. Further study revealed that 5-Aza treatment activated extracellular signal related kinases (ERK) in hucMSCs, but protein kinase C showed no response to 5-Aza administration. U0126, a specific inhibitor of ERK, could inhibit 5-Aza-induced expression of cardiac-specific genes and proteins in hucMSCs. Increased phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3, and up-regulation of myocyte enhancer-binding factor-2c and myogenic differentiation antigen in 5-Aza-treated hucMSCs were also suppressed by U0126. Taken together, these results suggested that sustained activation of ERK by 5-Aza contributed to the induction of the differentiation of hucMSCs into cardiomyocytes in vitro.
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