Cardiomyocyte marker expression in mouse embryonic fibroblasts by cell-free cardiomyocyte extract and epigenetic manipulation

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background The regenerative capacity of the mammalian heart is quite limited. Recent reports have focused on reprogramming mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes. We investigated whether fibroblasts could transdifferentiate into myocardium. Methods Mouse embryonic fibroblasts were treated with Trichostatin A (TSA) and 5-Aza-2-Deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The treated cells were permeabilized with streptolysin O and exposed to the mouse cardiomyocyte extract and cultured for 1, 10, and 21 days. Cardiomyocyte markers were detected by immunohistochemistry. Alkaline phosphatase activity and OCT4 were also detected in cells treated by chromatin-modifying agents. Results The cells exposed to a combination of 5-aza-dC and TSA and permeabilized in the presence of the cardiomyocyte extract showed morphological changes. The cells were unable to express cardiomyocyte markers after 24 h. Immunocytochemical assays showed a notable degree of myosin heavy chain and α-actinin expressions after 10 days. The expression of the natriuretic factor and troponin T occurred after 21 days in these cells. The cells exposed to chromatin-modifying agents also expressed cardiomyocyte markers; however, the proportion of reprogrammed cells was clearly smaller than that in the cultures exposed to 5-aza-dC , TSA, and extract. Conclusion It seems that the fibroblasts were able to eliminate the previous epigenet

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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