Early first trimester human embryonic cardiac Islet-1 progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes: Immunohistochemical and electrophysiological characterization.

The aims of this study were to systematically characterize the distribution, proliferation, and differentiation of Islet-1(+)(Isl1(+)) progenitor cells in the early first trimester human embryonic heart during which period most of the organogenesis takes place. In hearts of gestational week 5 to 10 Isl1(+)cells were identified and mainly clustered in the outflow tract and to a lesser extent in the atria and in the right ventricle. Some of the clusters were also troponin T(+). Unexpectedly a only few Isl1(+)cells were Ki67(+)while in the ventricles a majority of Isl1(-)troponinT(+)cells were Ki67(+). Cultures derived from the digested embryonic heart developed into spontaneously beating cardiospheres. At harvest cells in these cardiospheres showed frequent expression of troponin T(+)and Nkx2.5(+), while Isl1 was expressed only in scattered cells. Only a minority of the cultured cells expressed Ki67. The cardiospheres could be frozen, thawed, and recultured to beating cardiospheres. In a multielectrode array system, the beating cardiospheres were responsive to adrenergic stimulation and exhibited rate-dependent action potential duration. In conclusion, the early first trimester human embryonic heart expresses clusters of Isl1(+)cells, some of which differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Unexpectedly, only a minority of the Isl1(+)cells, while a majority of ventricular cardiomyocytes, were proliferating. Spontaneously beating cardiospheres could be derived from the human embryonic heart and these cardiospheres showed functional frequency control. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.