Osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells of epicardial adipose tissue in patients with coronary heart disease

Aim . To assess the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with stable coronary heart disease based on obtaining gene profiles (osteogenesis markers). Materials and methods . In EAT MSCs, the expression levels of the RUNX2 (RUNX transcription factor encoding gene), BGLAP (osteocalcin encoding gene), SPP1 (osteopontin encoding gene), SP7 (Osterix encoding gene) genes were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using immunofluorescence staining, the amount of RUNX2, osteocalcin, osteopontin, and Osterix proteins was determined in the supernatant of cultured MSCs. Results . It was found that the expression of RUNX2 in cells cultured in a medium with osteoinducers was 1.88 times higher than in undifferentiated MSCs (p = 0.012). The level of RUNX2 protein was also higher in a differentiated cell culture (p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained regarding the level of SPP1 mRNA expression (p = 0.012). BGLAP expression did not differ between differentiated and undifferentiated MSC cultures. The level of SP7 gene expression did not differ in cells either with or without an osteoblastic medium. It is worth noting that using immunofluorescence staining, there were no differences detected in the expression of Osterix and OCN between cultures of differentiated and undifferentiated cells. Conclusion . It was found that EAT MSCs have osteogenic potential, which was manifested by the expression of osteogenesis genes in both differentiated and undifferentiated MSCs. The increase in the expression level of SSP1 and RUNX2 mRNA on the 15th day of cultivation with osteoblastic medium indicates that the studied cells are preosteoblasts and are at the stage of extracellular matrix synthesis.