Evaluation of influence of silver nanoparticles on cardiomyogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro

Abstract

Introduction: Today, the use of cell therapy to control incurable diseases is expanding dramatically. According to the researches in the recent years, by differentiating mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the different cells, damaged cells can be replaced. However, due to the low capacity of differentiation, it is necessary to increase the differentiation efficiency by using different agents including nanoparticles.Nanoparticles are substances with dimensions in the order of 1–100 nm that possess unique properties owing to their small size and greater surface area per unit volume; thus, they show a higher reactivity with other molecules. According to the researches, different nanoparticles can change the differentiation pattern or increase its potency. For example we can refer to Au NPs, Ag NPs, CNTs and silica NPs. Numerous studies have also shown the effect of Au NPs and CNTs on cardiomyogenic differentiation. Objective: Investigating the effects of silver nanoparticles on the cardiomyogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow MSCs in in vitro. Methods: In this study, MSCs isolated from rat bone marrow were treated with silver nanoparticles after cardiac differentiation. To determine the effects of silver nanoparticles on the differentiation of rat bone marrow MSCs into the cardiomyocytes, GATA4 and C-TnI gene and protein expression were evaluated by Real time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Treatment of MSCs with silver nanoparticles significantly increased the gene and protein expression of GATA4 and C-TnI cardiac marker, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results obtained from this study, silver nanoparticles alone significantly increased the differentiation of MSCs into the cardiomyocytes when compared to the control group.