Comparative Effect of MSC Secretome to MSC Co-culture on Cardiomyocyte Gene Expression Under Hypoxic Conditions in vitro

Abstract

<i>HIF-1</i>α was persistently overexpressed in Hyp-CMC-S_MSC as compared to Hyp-CMC (except at 72 h). Hyp-CMC-MSC showed a weaker <i>HIF-1</i>α expression than Hyp-CMC-S_MSC in most tested time points, except after 8 h. The <i>Ki-67</i> expression showed the strongest upregulation in Hyp-CMC after 24 and 48 h incubation, then returned to baseline level, while a temporary increase in <i>Ki-67</i> expression in Hyp-CMC-MSC at 4 and 8 h and at 48 h in Hyp-CMC-S_MSC could be observed. <i>RhoA</i> was increased in normoxic MSCs and in Hyp-CMC-S_MSC over time, but not in Hyp-CMC-MSC. A temporary increase in IL-18 protein expression was detected in Hyp-CMC-SMSC and Hyp-CMC. Our study demonstrates timely dynamic changes in expression of different ischemia and regeneration-related genes of CMCs, depending from the culture condition, with stronger expression of <i>HIF-1</i>α, <i>RhoA</i> and IL-18 if the hypoxic CMC were subjected to the secretome of MSCs.