Amniotic fluid-derived stem cells demonstrated cardiogenic potential in indirect co-culture with human cardiac cells

Ann Biomed Eng. 2014 Dec;42(12):2490-500. doi: 10.1007/s10439-014-1114-5. Epub 2014 Sep 30.

Abstract

Amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSC) have been shown to be broadly multipotent and non-tumorogenic. Previous studies of direct mixing of AFSC and neonatal rat ventricle myocytes indicated evidence of AFSC cardiogenesis. In this study, we examined human AFSC cardiogenic potential in indirect co-culture with human cardiac cells in conditions that eliminated the possibility of cell fusion. Human AFSC in contact with human cardiac cells showed expression of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in immunohistochemistry, and no evidence of cell fusion was found through fluorescent in situ hybridization. When indirectly co-cultured with cardiac cells, human AFSC in contact with cardiac cells across a thin porous membrane showed a statistically significant increase in cTnT expression compared to non-contact conditions but lacked upregulation of calcium modulating proteins and did not have functional or morphological characteristics of mature cardiomyocytes. This suggests that contact is a necessary but not sufficient condition for AFSC cardiac differentiation in co-culture with cardiac cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amniotic Fluid / cytology
  • Cell Communication
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Troponin T / metabolism

Substances

  • Troponin T