Nitric oxide facilitates cardiomyogenesis in mouse embryonic stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Stem cell therapy holds great promise for the replacement of damaged or dysfunctional myocardium. Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to promote embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation in other systems. We hypothesized that NO, through NO synthase gene transfer or exogenous NO exposure, would promote the differentiation of mouse ES cells into cardiomyocytes (CM). In our study, NO treatment increased both the number and the size of beating foci in embryoid body (EB) outgrowths. Within 2 weeks, 69% of the inducible NO synthase-transduced EB displayed spontaneously beating foci, as did 45% of the NO donor-treated EB, compared with only approximately 15% in controls. Cardiac-specific genes and protein expression were significantly increased in NO-treated ES. Electron microscopy and immunocytoche

SUBMITTER: Kanno S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC514469 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature