Biophysical regulation of mouse embryonic stem cell fate and genomic integrity by feeder derived matrices.

For maintaining pluripotency, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are typically grown on mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). While the role of MEF conditioned media (MEFCM) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in regulating mESC pluripotency has led to culturing of mESCs on LIF/MEFCM supplemented gelatin-coated substrates, the role of physical interactions between MEFs and mESCs in regulating mESC pluripotency remains to be fully understood. Here, we address this question by characterizing the physicochemical properties of MEF derived matrices (MEFDMs), and probing their role in regulating mESC fate. We show that MEFDM composition and stiffness-dictated by MEF contractility-regulates mESC pluripotency by modulating mESC contractility through integrin-mediated mechanoadaptation. While baseline mESC pluripotency is maintained at early time points, activation of mESC contractility by LPA leads to drop in pluripotency levels. In contrast, addition of blebbistatin and LIF independently increases pluripotency by suppressing mechanoadaptation, highlighting the role of mechanoadaptation in regulating pluripotency and illustrating the role of LIF as a mechano-inhibitor in mESCs. Long-term culture of mESCs on MEFDMs under LIF-free conditions triggers loss of pluripotency, and induces ligand-dependent expression of the osteogenic transcription factor Runx2. Maintenance of genomic integrity (euploidy) on MEFDMs but not on gelatin-coated substrates, combined with the ability of MEFDMs in supporting LIF-free expansion and differentiation of mESCs, illustrates the suitability of MEFDMs for clinical and regenerative medicine applications.

Assessment of temperature-induced hERG channel blockade variation by drugs.

Drug-induced QT prolongation has been reported in humans and animals. This potentially lethal effect can be induced by drugs interacting with a cardiac potassium channel, namely hERG (human ether-a go-go-related gene) leading to arrhythmia or torsade de pointes (TdP). Hence, in vitro evaluation of therapeutics for their effects on the rapid delayed rectifier current (IKr) mediated by the K(+) ion channel encoded by hERG is a valuable tool for identifying potential arrhythmic side effects during drug safety testing. Our objective was to evaluate the temperature-induced hERG channel blockade variation by human and veterinary drugs using the IonFlux 16 system. A panel of eight drugs was tested for IKr inhibition at both ambient (23 °C) and physiological (37 °C) temperatures at various concentrations using IonFlux 16, an automated patch clamp system. Our results established that both amiodarone (IC(50) = 0.56 µM at 23 °C and 0.30 µM at 37 °C) and ß-estradiol (IC(50) = 24.72 µM at 23 °C and 8.17 µM at 37 °C) showed a dose-dependent IKr blockade with a higher blockade at 37 °C. Whereas, blockade of IKr by both ivermectin (IC(50) = 12.52 µM at 23 °C and 24.41 µM at 37 °C) and frusemide (IC(50) = 12.58 µM at 23 °C and 25.55 µM at 37 °C) showed a dose-dependent IKr blockade with a lower blockade at 37 °C. Gentamicin, enrofloxacin, xylazine and albendazole did not block IKr at both the assessed temperatures. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the effect of temperature variation should be taken into consideration during the evaluation of test drugs for their hERG channel blockade potential.