Generation of functional cardiomyocytes from adult mouse spermatogonial stem cells

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Kaomei Guan - , Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Stefan Wagner - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Bernhard Unsöld - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Lars S. Maier - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Diana Kaiser - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Bernhard Hemmerlein - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Karim Nayernia - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Wolfgang Engel - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Gerd Hasenfuss - , University of Göttingen (Author)

Abstract

Stem cell-based therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of heart failure. Adult stem cells with the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) would be an ideal cell source. Recently, we reported the successful establishment of multipotent adult germline stem cells (maGSCs) from mouse testis. These cultured maGSCs show phenotypic characteristics similar to ESCs and can spontaneously differentiate into cells from all 3 germ layers. In the present study, we used the hanging drop method to differentiate maGSCs into cardiomyocytes and analyzed their functional properties. Differentiation efficiency of beating cardiomyocytes from maGSCs was similar to that from ESCs. The maGSC-derived cardiomyocytes expressed cardiac-specific L-type Ca channels and responded to Ca channel-modulating drugs. Cx43 was expressed at cell-to-cell contacts in cardiac clusters, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assay showed the presence of functional gap junctions among cardiomyocytes. Action potential analyses demonstrated the presence of pacemaker-, ventricle-, atrial-, and Purkinje-like cardiomyocytes. Stimulation with isoproterenol resulted in a significant increase in beating frequency, whereas the addition of cadmium chloride abolished spontaneous electrical activity. Confocal microscopy analysis of intracellular Ca in maGSC-derived cardiomyocytes showed that calcium increased periodically throughout the cell in a homogenous fashion, pointing to a fine regulated Ca release from intracellular Ca stores. By using line-scan mode, we found rhythmic Ca transients. Furthermore, we transplanted maGSCs into normal hearts of mice and found that maGSCs were able to proliferate and differentiate. No tumor formation was found up to 1 month after cell transplantation. Taken together, we believe that maGSCs provide a new source of distinct types of cardiomyocytes for basic research and potential therapeutic application.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1615-1625
Number of pages11
JournalCirculation research
Volume100
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2007
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 17478732

Keywords

Keywords

  • Cardiac differentiation, Cell transplantation, Gap junction, L-type Ca channels, Spermatogonial stem cells