ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Therapy effects and cardiac electrical activity comparison of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a) gene modified BMSCs transplantation after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats with AMI were divided into 4 groups (n = 30) randomly: normal group (n = 6), saline group (control group, n = 8), BMSCs transplantation group (BMSCs group, n = 8) and SERCA2a gene modified BMSCs transplantation group (BMSCs + rAd.SERCA2a group, n = 8). After 14 days, cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography and heart electrical activity was evaluated by electrocardiogram and microelectrode array (MEA) technology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The transduction ratio of rAd.SERCA2a to BMSCs were 80% to 90%. (2) Left ventricular ejection fraction on 14 days after therapy was significantly higher in BMSCs group and BMSCs + rAd.SERCA2a group than in control group (all P < 0.05). (3) QT duration was significantly shorter [(80.30 ± 6.53) ms vs. (105.31 ± 21.89) ms, P < 0.05] and ventricular premature beats less frequent in BMSCs + rAd. SERCA2a group than in the control group. (4) MEA results suggested that isolated heart beat was significantly slowed down and frequent ventricular arrhythmias and atrioventricular block were recorded in control group. The maximum field potential and field potential duration on infarcted myocardium area in BMSCs group and BMSCs + rAd.SERCA2a group were significantly longer than those in control group[the maximum field potential: (0.51 ± 0.15), (0.55 ± 0.16), (0.23 ± 0.10) mV; field potential duration: (104.5 ± 25.43), (107.67 ± 24.01), (63.00 ± 20.34) ms; all P < 0.05]. (5) The conduction time was the shortest and the cardiac electrical conduction consistency in myocardial infarction tissue was significantly improved in BMSCs + rAd.SERCA2a group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BMSCs and SERCA2a gene modified BMSCs transplantation could significantly improve cardiac function and BMSCs + rAd.SERCA2a could also effectively improve electrical conduction of infarcted myocardium and attenuate the incidence of arrhythmia after myocardial infarction in rats.</p>