PKG and PKC Are Down-Regulated during Cardiomyocyte Differentiation from Embryonic Stem Cells: Manipulation of These Pathways Enhances Cardiomyocyte Production

Figure 5

PKG in combination with PKC increases cardiac markers as shown by qRT-PCR. The time points in (a)–(c) are equivalent to Day 12 in Figures 3(a) and 3(b). (a) Negative control (untreated) versus PKG inhibitor: treatment of EBs with DT-3 resulted in increased early cardiac markers, atrial cardiac markers, the cardiac marker, Nkx2.5, as well as cardiac-specific cytoskeleton proteins when compared to negative control (untreated) EBs. (b) negative control versus combined treatment of PKCβ inhibitor and DT-3: The combined treatment of PKCβ and PKG inhibitors significantly upregulated atrial cardiac markers and the cardiac troponin T gene. (c) DT-3 Treatment versus combined treatment of PKCβ inhibitor and DT-3: the combined treatment of PKC and PKG significantly upregulated both atrial markers, ANP, and MLC2a, when compared to treatment with PKG alone. (d) Table describing cardiac markers used for qRT-PCR. Graph color code = bars in graphs.