Human menstrual blood–derived stem cells protect H9c2 cells against hydrogen peroxide–associated apoptosis

Human menstrual blood–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MenSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Here, H2O2-associated damage in H9c2 cells was employed as an in vitro ischemia–reperfusion model, and the transwell system was used to explore the beneficial effects of MenSCs on the H2O2-induced damage of myocardial H9c2 cells. H2O2 treatment resulted in decreased viability and migration rate, with increased apoptosis levels in cells. By contrast, upon co-culture with MenSCs, H9c2 cell viability and migration were increased, whereas the apoptotic rate decreased. Additionally, western blot and qRT-PCR showed that MenSCs mediated the anti-apoptotic role by downregulating the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and caspase-3, while upregulating the anti-apoptotic effector Bcl-2. Furthermore, co-culture with MenSCs resulted in elevated expression of N-cadherin after H2O2 treatment. These findings indicate that MenSCs protect H9c2 cells against H2O2-associated programmed cell death and would help develop therapeutic tools for cardiomyocyte apoptosis associated with oxidative stress.