Abstract
We have shown that multipotent stem cell populations residing in the interstitial spaces of skeletal muscle (Sk-34 and Sk-DN cells) can give rise to myogenic, vascular (pericytes, vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells), and neural (Schwann cells) cells, as well as contributed to the synchronized reconstitution of blood vessels, muscle fibers, and peripheral nerves, with significant recovery of both mass and contractile function after transplantation. Intrinsic plasticity of these cells when there were transplanted into non-skeletal muscle tissue environment was investigated. The renal capsule, spinal cord and heart were selected as non-skeletal muscle tissues. In the renal capsule, these cells could also give rise to muscle fibers, nerve fibers, and blood vessels as well as in the skeletal muscle tissue. In the spinal cord, however, MAP-2 positive neural cells and blood vessels were observed. Interestingly, in the cardiac muscle tissue milieu, these skeletal muscle derived stem cells could differentiate into mono-nucleated cardiac muscle cells with an apparent desmosome junctions between donor-recipient cells, and/or donor-donor cells. Donor cell derived blood vessels were also observed. These results suggest that Sk-34 and Sk-DN cells can give rise to myogenic, neural and vascular cell lineage intrinsically, and these capacities can be affected by the different tissue milieus. [J Physiol Sci. 2006;56 Suppl:S145]
