Sodium channel blockers inhibit the differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiac-like cells

Background: The studies have found that the tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels exist in various human and animal mesenchymal stem cells, but whether sodium channels may influence the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into myocardial cells has not been confirmed. Objective: To observe the effect of sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into cardiac-like cells. Methods: Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated with Percoll's density gradient centrifugation and differential adhesion method, and then the adult rat myocardial cells were isolated by aorta retrograde collagenase perfusion; rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells labeled with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole were co-cultured with adult rat myocardial cells, and induced with 0, 10 and 100 μmol/L tetrodotoxin; and then the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiac-like cells was observed at 1 week after induction. Results and Conclusion: Immunofluorescence staining showed that the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells could express cardiac-specific protein desmin and myosin after bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured with myocardial cells for 1 week, while 10 and 100 μmol/L tetrodotoxin could inhibit the expressions of desmin and myosin in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The results indicate that sodium channel may play a pivotal role in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiac-like cells.