Autologous marrow stromal cell transplantation for improving rabbit cardiac performance after myocardial infarction

AIM: To test the hypothesis that marrow stromal cells (MSCs), when implanted into self-myocardium, can undergo milieu-dependent differentiation, express cardiomyogenic phenotypes and enhance angiogenesis and cardiac function of ischemic hearts in vivo. METHODS: Acute myocardial infarction was induced by occlusion of left anterior descending artery, and autologous MSCs labeled with BrdU (Bromodeoxyuridine) in vitro were administrated intramyocardially into the infarct area of the same donor rabbits. RESULTS: After 4 weeks, transplanted MSCs demonstrated myogenic differentiation with the expression of α-sarcomeric actin and connexin 43. MSCs displayed increased levels of VEGF protein [(684±86) fg/L vs (515±51) fg/L, P0.05] and the number of vessels [(22.9±6.6)/HP vs (19.0±5.9)/HP, (P)0.05] in myocardial ischemia area, compared with those in controls. MSCs implantation resulted in markedly improved left ventricular contractility [LVSP: (15.08±0.84) kPa vs (13.26±(0.68)) kPa; LVEDP: (1.53±0.28) kPa vs (19.03±0.41) kPa; +dp/dt_(max): (+615.77±48.69) kPa/s vs (+435.75±58.25) kPa/s; -dp/dt_(max): (-401.17±(46.23)) kPa/s vs (-338.25±50.72) kPa/s, P0.05]. CONCLUSION: Autologous MSCs transplantation can effectively treat myocardial ischemia without immune rejection.