Related Experiment Videos
Human embryonic stem cells develop into multiple types of cardiac myocytes: action potential characterization
Jia-Qiang He1, Yue Ma, Youngsook Lee
1Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis 53792-3248, USA.
Circulation Research
|June 7, 2003
Summary
Human embryonic stem cells differentiate into various human cardiomyocyte types. These cells exhibit distinct electrical and contraction properties, offering potential for research and therapies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Human embryonic stem cells (hES) differentiate into embryoid bodies (EBs) with derivatives from all three germ layers.
- Spontaneously contracting outgrowths from EBs contain cardiomyocytes (CMs), but their types and functions are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the contractions and action potentials (APs) of human CMs derived from hES cells.
- To investigate the functional properties and electrophysiology of these hES cell-derived CMs.
Main Methods:
- Cultured hES cell-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) for 40-95 days.
- Measured contractions using video edge-detection microscopy.
- Performed intracellular electrical recordings with sharp microelectrodes.
- Utilized beta-adrenergic stimulation (isoproterenol) and IKr channel blockade (E-4031).
Main Results:
- Identified three distinct classes of APs: nodal-like, atrial-like, and ventricular-like.
- Observed functional properties including rate adaptation and afterdepolarizations.
- Demonstrated a significant role for IKr in AP repolarization.
- Showed that hES cell-derived CMs possess functional characteristics of embryonic human cardiac muscle.
Conclusions:
- hES cells can differentiate into multiple types of human CMs.
- These hES-derived CMs exhibit functional properties characteristic of embryonic human cardiac muscle.
- hES cells represent a renewable source for distinct human cardiac myocytes for research, drug testing, and potential therapeutic applications.