ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shuanglong Formula (SLF) is a classic formula for treating heart disease in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). And it has been reported that the combinational treatment of SLF with autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation could be of benefit to people with acute myocardial infarction. However, their underlying mechanisms are not clear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The effects of whole formula and its herbal main ingredients on rat MSCs differentiation towards cardiomyocytes were investigated and the distinct protein expression profile in MSC-derived cardiomyocytes studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The protein expression profiles of rat MSCs and cardiomyocyte-like cells were determined with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that SLF can induce MSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells and around 36 proteins mainly involved in cytoskeleton, cell tissue energy metabolism and signal transduction have been shown to be regulated distinctly by SLF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Data presented in this study suggest that large rearrangement of the proteome occur during the differentiation process of the MSCs to terminally differentiated cardiomyocyte-like cells and offer the possibility for further characterization of specific targets driving the stem cell differentiation.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shuanglong Formula (SLF) is a classic formula for treating heart disease in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). And it has been reported that the combinational treatment of SLF with autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation could be of benefit to people with acute myocardial infarction. However, their underlying mechanisms are not clear. AIM OF THE STUDY: The effects of whole formula and its herbal main ingredients on rat MSCs differentiation towards cardiomyocytes were investigated and the distinct protein expression profile in MSC-derived cardiomyocytes studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The protein expression profiles of rat MSCs and cardiomyocyte-like cells were determined with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that SLF can induce MSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells and around 36 proteins mainly involved in cytoskeleton, cell tissue energy metabolism and signal transduction have been shown to be regulated distinctly by SLF treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Data presented in this study suggest that large rearrangement of the proteome occur during the differentiation process of the MSCs to terminally differentiated cardiomyocyte-like cells and offer the possibility for further characterization of specific targets driving the stem cell differentiation.