Complementary Embryonic and Adult Cell Populations Enhance Myocardial Repair in Rat Myocardial Injury Model

Figure 1

Characterization of isolated embryonic cardiac stem cells in culture. (a)–(c) Immunofluorescence micrographs showing cells isolated from E12.5 rat hearts expressing various cardiac progenitor markers: Isl-1 (a), Nkx2.5 (b), and GATA-4 (c). (d) Blank, in which the primary antibody was omitted. (e) Bright field and superimposed fluorescence micrograph of cells stained with Prussian Blue demonstrate incorporation of MION in the cytoplasm A close-up view of (e) is shown (e’). Light blue: nuclei (DAPI); dark blue: MION. (f) Western blot analysis of cell extract confirmed expression of various cardiac markers (Islet-1, Nkx2.5, GATA-4, sarcomeric α-actinin, cardiac troponin I, connexin-43). Cells were identified as c-kit^-.(g) Real-time PCR analysis showed that, after several passages in culture, isolated cells lost expression of GATA-4.

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