Homing ability of mesechymal stem cells to damaged myocardium of doxorubicin-induced heart failure rats by vein transplantation

AIM To investigate the homing ability of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) induced mesechymal stem cells (MSCs) to damaged myocardium of rats with doxorubicin-induced heart failure by tail vein transplantation. METHODS MSCs of Wistar rats were cultured in vitro and the second passage MSCs were incubated together with 5-aza-CdR (0.3 μmol/L) for two times. The induced MSCs labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were then transplanted through tail vein into the rats in the model of global heart failure induced by doxorubicin application. The rats receiving serum-free medium injection were used as controls. Three days and 1 month after transplantation, the homing ability of MSCs to damaged myocardium and the distributing characteristics were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Three days after transplantation in the model of doxorubicin-induced dilated cardiomyopathy, the donor anti-BrdU positive cells were found in rats′ myocardium, predominant in the left ventricle. The donor MSCs distributed well mixing with rats′ cardiomyocytes. One month after transplantation, donor MSCs were found to have arranged with myocardial fibers and formed cardiomyocyte-like structure such as spindle-shaped nucleus. CONCLUSION The MSCs have the homing ability to the myocardium of rats with doxorubicin-induced dilated cardiomyopathy through tail vein and can survive more than 1 month in the myocardium with some features of cardialmyocytes.