Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be induced to differentiate into vascular endothelial cells in vitro, which be involved in the formation of the blood vessels. Therefore, hESCs is one of the promised cell resources for vascular tissue engineering.
OBJECTIVE: To establish a method to directly induce the hESCs to differentiate into vascular endothelial cells.
METHODS: hESCs H1 was cultured on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) in serum-free ESC medium. After passaged, H1 cell clumps were transferred to rat tail collagen-coated culture plates, and then cultured on EGM-2 endothelial medium added with endothelial cell growth supplements and growth factors after adherent cultured for 24-48 hours.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Cells cultured on EGM-2 endothelial medium gradually expressed endothelial-specific genes VEGFR-2, PECAM1, vWF, CD34, VE-cadherin and GATA-2. The differentiated cells could express endothelial- specific genes VE-cadherin and CD31. The differentiated cells could uptake low density lipoprotein. hESCs on tail collagen-coated culture plates could directly differentiate into vascular endothelial cells in EGM-2 endothelial medium. The establishment of endothelial differentiation system will lay a foundation for further researches on the effects of extracellular matrix on inducing hESCs to differentiate vascular endothelial cells and its molecular mechanisms.