The Role of Human Platelet-rich Plasma to Enhance the Differentiation of Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Cardiomyocyte: An Experimental Study

Background: Several studies have shown that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) can differentiate into mesenchymal lineages, including cardiac cell types, but complete differentiation into cardiomyocytes is challenging. Unfortunately, the optimal method to maximize AMSCs differentiation has not yet been established. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which contains rich growth factors, is believed to stimulate stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the context of cardiac tissue regeneration. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effect of PRP administration to enhance the differentiation of AMSCs into cardiomyocytes. Methods: This study used a randomized post-test-only controlled group design. AMSCs were isolated from adipose tissues and cultured for 4 passages. The samples were divided into 3 groups, a negative control group (α-MEM), a positive control group (differentiation medium), and a treatment group (PRP). The assessment of GATA-4 expression was conducted using flow cytometry on day-5. The assessment of troponin expression was conducted using immunocytochemistry on day- 10. Data analysis was conducted using T-test and One-Way ANOVA. Results: Flowcytometry of GATA-4 expression revealed a significant improvement in PRP group compared to negative and positive control group (67.04 ± 4.49 vs. 58.15 ± 1.23 p < 0.05; 67.04 ± 4.49 vs. 52.96 ± 2.02 p < 0.05). This was supported by the results of immunocytochemistry on troponin expression, which revealed significant improvement in the PRP group compared to negative and positive controls (38.13 ± 5.2 vs. 10.73 ± 2.39 p < 0.05; 38.13 ± 5.2 vs. 26.00 ± 0.4 p < 0.05). Conclusion: PRP administration in the AMSCs culture could significantly improve the differentiation of AMSCs into cardiomyocytes measured by GATA-4 and troponin expressions. This was concordant with our hypothesis, which stated that there was an effect of PRP administration on AMSCs differentiation into cardiomyocytes.