The Atrioventricular Junction: A Potential Niche Region for Progenitor Cells in the Adult Human Heart.

ABSTRACT: A stem cell niche is a microenvironment where stem cells reside in a quiescent state, until activated. In a previous rat model, we combined 5-bromo-2-deoxy-uridine labeling with activation of endogenous stem cells by physical exercise and revealed a distinct region, in the atrioventricular junction (AVj), with features of a stem cell niche. In this study, we aim to investigate whether a similar niche exists in the human heart. Paired biopsies from AVj and left ventricle (LV) were collected both from explanted hearts of organ donors, not used for transplantation (N = 7) and from severely failing hearts from patients undergoing heart transplantation (N = 7). Using antibodies, we investigated the expression of stem cell, hypoxia, proliferation and migration biomarkers. In the co

SUBMITTER: Vukusic K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6686725 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature