Scientific Resources

In recent years,the differentiation of bone marrow cells (BMCs) into myocytes has been extensively investigated,but the findings remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the conditions necessary to induce myogenic differentiation in short-term cultures of adult BMCs,and to identify the BMC subpopulation responsible for this phenomenon. We report that high-density cultures of murine hematopoietic BMCs gave rise to spontaneous beating cell clusters in the presence of vascular endothelial and fibroblast growth factors. These clusters originated from c-kit(pos) cells. The formation of the clusters could be completely blocked by adding a c-kit/tyrosine kinase inhibitor,Gleevec (imatinib mesylate; Novartis International,Basel,Switzerland,http://www.novartis.com),to the culture. Cluster formation was also blunted in BMCs from c-kit-deficient (Kit(W)/Kit(W-v)) mice. Clustered cells expressed cardiomyocyte-specific transcription factor genes Gata-4 and Nkx2.5,sarcomeric proteins beta-MHC and MLC-2v,and ANF and connexin-43. Immunostaining revealed alpha-sarcomeric actinin expression in more than 90% of clustered cells. Under electron microscopy,the clustered cells exhibited a sarcomeric myofiber arrangement and z-bands. This study defines the microenvironment required to achieve a reproducible in vitro model of beating,myogenic cell clusters. This model could be used to examine the mechanisms responsible for the postnatal myogenic differentiation of BMCs. Our results identify c-kit(pos) bone marrow hematopoietic cells as the source of the myogenic clusters. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients may be an important indicator of metastatic disease and poor prognosis. However,the use of experimental models is required to fully elucidate the functional consequences of CTCs. The purpose of this study was to optimize the sensitivity of multiparameter flow cytometry for detection of human tumor cells in mouse models of breast cancer. METHODS: MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cells were serially diluted in whole mouse blood. Samples were lysed and incubated with a fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-human leukocytic antigen antibody and a phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-mouse pan-leukocyte CD45 antibody. Samples were then immunomagnetically depleted of CD45-positive leukocytes,fixed,permeabilized,and stained with propidium iodide before flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: Human breast cancer cells could be differentiated from mouse leukocytes based on increased light scatter,cell surface marker expression,and aneuploid DNA content. The method was found to have a lower sensitivity limit of 10(-5) and was effective for detecting human breast cancer cells in vivo in the circulation of experimental mice carrying primary human mammary tumors. CONCLUSIONS: This technique has the potential to be a valuable and sensitive tool for investigating the biological relevance of CTCs in experimental mouse models of breast cancer. View Publication