Investigating the viability and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells cultured on heart muscle-derived coating substrate

Treatment of bone defects is very challenging due to the complex composition, structure, and functions of bone. Tissue engineering is a new approach to the treatment of bone injuries. In this study, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were extracted from rat tibia and femur and cultured in αMEM medium. Then, morphology, surface markers, and differentiation into bone and fat cells were evaluated. The sheep heart tissue was cut into pieces and decellularized with 1% SDS and then examined by tissue-specific staining (hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome, DAPI, and Alcian blue). Cardiogel was prepared from the decellularized cardiac muscle tissue and then a two-dimensional coating derived from cardiogel was created. To investigate the viability, proliferation, and differentiation, BMSCs were cultured on different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8) of cardiogel coating which was used as the test group. The gelatin coating was used as a positive control group and the substrate without any coatings was used as a negative control group. Increased viability, proliferation, and differentiation of BMSCs were observed in culture vessels containing cardiogel. According to the results of the cell viability examination, with the increase in the concentration of cardiogel, the growth and the function of the cells increased; However, it was not statistically significant. The results of this study showed that cardiogel can be used as a two-dimensional coating in cell culture and provide a microenvironment similar to the inside of the body.