oa Evaluation of Potential Involvement of two MicroRNAs (hsa-miR-590-5p and hsa-miR-497) in Differentiation of Human Cardiac Stem Cells to Cardiomyocytes

Objectives

In heart as an organ with low renewal capacity, the processes regulating the differentiation of human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs) are crucial for cardiac diseases therapy. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles during heart development. In this research, the expression profile of a few candidate miRNAs was studied in serial differentiation stages of the hCSCs to cardiomyocytes (CM).

Methods

The hCSCs (c-Kit+ progenitor cells) were prepared from Royan Stem Cell Bank (RSCB), cultured and differentiated into CM (Figure 1). The differentiation to CM was confirmed by ICC (Immunocytochemistry) test for cardiac troponinT and real-time PCR for some early cardiac marker and sarcomeric genes. The expression profiles of hsa-miR-590-5p, hsa-miR-497, hsa-miR-125a-5p and hsa-miR-133b were analyzed during the processes of differentiation.

Results

Here for the first time in our knowledge, we showed that in contrast to other upper mentioned candidate miRNAs, hsa-miR-590-5p and hsa-miR-497 are differentially expressed in accordance to the differential stages of hCSCs. The expression levels of these two candidates at the early stages of the CM differentiation were about 5 fold higher than the late stages (P-value<0.05, Figure 2).

Conclusions

All together, our data from four interesting miRNAs award us into the regulatory networks of related genes that are involved in CM differentiation of hCSCs.