The investigation of expression level difference of cardiac aquaporins in H2O2 induced h9c2 cardiomyocytes after the mesenchymal stem cell treatment

The survival of an organisms depends significantly on intracellular water homeostasis. Aquaporins (AQPs), also known known as water channels, play a crutial role in this regulation. Apart from facilitating water transport across cell membranes, aquaporins enable the entry of small neutral molecules like glycerol, serving as an energy source for the cells and potentially aiding in disease treatment by modulating water balance. Aquaporin expression varies in physiological and pathological conditions, notably in heart abnormalities associated with myocardial edema. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are employed in disease and tissue repair in various tissues, including cancer therapy, through stem cell treatment. In this study, we utilized the H9c2 rat cardiomyocyte cell line. Stress condition was induced by H2O2 treatment of these cells. To evaluate the stress response, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were compared between H9c2 cells without H2O2 treatment and H9c2 cells with H2O2 treatment. After induction of the stress condition, a treatment model was created by co-culturing H9c2 cells with rat-isolated MSCs. Then, changes in the expression of cardiac aquaporins (AQP1 and AQP7) were observed by quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. According to the results of this study, it was confirmed that ROS production increased in H2O2-treated cells and then the increases in AQP1 and AQP7 expressions were determined. AQP1 and AQP7 expressions were found to be significantly increased in the stress condition induced group. In addition, when stress condition-induced H9c2 cells were co-cultured with MSCs, AQP1 and AQP7 expressions were decreased and it was observed that the treatment model has been worked. The results obtained from this thesis study support the use of cardiac aquaporins as therapeutic targets, and demonstrated the effect of the therapeutic properties of the MSC's on aquaporins. These studies aim to elucidate cardiac pathologies and guide therapeutic strategies through the role of aquaporins in cardiac abnormalities.