Objective To study the influence of three different ways of myogenic induction on Ca2+ regulation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from umbilical cord blood. Methods From January 2007 to April 2010, three different ways of myogenic induction including the adoptions of 5azacytidine, extraction of myocardium, and myocardial differentiation medium were used to induce MSCs derived from the umbilical cord blood of dogs in Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Confocal laser scanning microscope was used to detect cells induced by the three abovementioned methods, cardiomyocytes and Ca2+ combined with Fluo3/AM inside the MSCs. For each group of cells, 2 to 5 visual fields were chosen, and 30 visual fields were recorded for each kind of cells. The mean fluorescence intensity of ten images shot in one minute was used to reflect the concentration of free intracellular Ca2+. Furthermore, the change of the concentration was continuously monitored by optical density(OD) value. Results After induction, the Ca2+ concentration inside the MSCs was significantly higher than that inside the cardiomyocytes (F=59.400, P=0.000). There was a statistical difference among the intracellular Ca2+ concentration induced respectively by 5azacytidine, extraction of myocardium, and myocardial differentiation medium (F=18.988, P=0.000). No significant difference existed between the intracellular Ca2+ concentration induced by 5-azacytidine and extraction of myocardium (OD value: 1 076.88±44.65 vs. 1 040.90±37.48, P=0.186), while the intracellular Ca2+ concentration induced by 5azacytidine was significantly higher than that induced by myocardial differentiation medium (OD value: 1 076.88±44.65 vs. 973.91±46.49, P=0.001), and the intracellular Ca2+ concentration induced by extraction of myocardium was significantly higher than that induced by myocardial differentiation medium (OD value: 1 040.90±37.48 vs. 973.91±46.49, P=0.001). The concentration of intracellular Ca2+ induced by all the three different methods fluctuated spontaneously, which was quite similar with the cardiomyocytes, but the frequency and the scope of the fluctuation were quite different. Ca2+ was released instantly by KCl stimulation in the two groups of MSCs pretreated by 5-aza and extraction of myocardium. Though MSCs pretreated by myocardial differentiation medium had response to KCl stimulation, Ca2+ could not be released in this group. On the contrary, the duration of Ca2+ release was prolonged. Conclusion Ca2+ regulation system of MSCs derived from umbilical cord blood can be influenced by these myogenic inductions. However, the reason and effect of the differences need to be elucidated by further investigation.
Free calcium ions, as a kind of message-transport substance, is important in cellular activity such as cell movement, cell differentiation and cell proliferation. In order to investigate the relationship between free calcium ions and scar contracture, the fibroblasts which originated from hypertrophic scar, keloid and normal skin were used as the experimental target. The fibroblasts from 4th-6th generations of different sources were used; Then the intracellular free calcium ions concentrations were measured respectively by the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fura-2/AM and Image analysis system. The results showed that the level of Ca2+ in fibroblasts of hypertrophic scar was higher than that in keloid and normal skin (P lt; 0.01). There was no significant difference between the level of Ca2+ in keloid and in normal skin. The conclusion was that the concentration of intracellular free calcium ions played an important role in the scar contract, but the exact mechanism was still unclear and required further study.