Effects of Puerarin on Cardiac Differentiation and Ventricular Specialization of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry

关键词: Ventricle;    Embryonic stem cells;    Differentiation;    Puerarin;    Cardiomyocytes;   

DOI  :  10.1159/000354480

学科分类：分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

来源: S Karger AG

【 摘 要 】

Aims It is important to screen and identify chemical compounds to improve the efficiency of cardiac differentiation and specialization of embryonic stem (ES) cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of puerarin, a natural phytoestrogen, on the in vitro cardiac differentiation and ventricular specialization of murine ES cells. Methods Cardiac differentiation of murine ES cells was performed by embryoid body (EB)-based differentiation method. Quantitative RT-PCR, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were employed to identify cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from murine ES cells (mES-CMs). Patch clamp was used to study the electrophysiological properties of CMs. Results We found that continuous puerarin treatment significantly increased the population of ES-CMs which express typical cardiac markers and are electrophysiological intact. Puerarin treatment shifted the cardiac phenotype from pacemaker-like cells to ventricular-like cells, which were Mlc2v-positive and present typical ventricular-like AP. Puerarin up-regulated transcripts involved in cardiac differentiation and ventricular specialization of ES cells. Conclusion Our results suggest that puerarin promotes cardiac differentiation, and significantly enhances the specialization of mES cells into ventricular-like CMs. Puerarin may be used to increase the yield of ventricular mES-CMs during in vitro differentiation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-ND