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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection
Published on: February 17, 2015
[Sinoatrial node cells phenotype expression is induced by direct bone marrow stem cells contact with sinoatrial node
Si-bin Guan1, Ai-qun Ma, Wen-hui Jiang
1Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital, Shanghai 200031, China.
Objective:
To observe the differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) co-cultured with purified sinoatrial node cells (SNC) of neonate rats.
Methods:
SNC from neonatal SD rat were cultured and purified with differential attachment method and labeled with BrdU. Rat BMSCs were isolated by a Percoll's gradient solution and cultured in DMEM. After 2 passages, these BMSCs were transfected with pEGFP-N1 by Lipofectamine and labeled with GFP. EGFP-BMSC were co-cultured with SNC in a rate of 1:5 for 1 week. EGFP-BMSC cultured in SNC culture medium served as controls. SNC marker hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated cation channel 4 (HCN4) and connexin 45 (Cx45) expressions were determined by immunofluorescence staining.
Result:
Positive immunofluorescence staining against HCN4 and Cx45 were detected in EGFP-BMSC co-cultured with SNC but not in EGFP-BMSC cultured in SNC culture medium.
Conclusion:
Direct cell-to-cell contact between BMSCs and SNC cells may induce BMSCs differentiation into sinus node-like cells.
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