Promotive effect of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on angiogenesis in rabbit ischemic limbs / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Longterm therapeutic effects of routine drug treatment, intervention or vascular bypass transplantation on lower extremity arterial occlusion are not ideal. During recent years, angiogenesis of stem cells possibly becones a new method to repair or rebuild an effective collateral circulation at infarct regions.OBJECTIVE: To verify the effect of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on promoting angiogenesis in rabbit ischemic hind limbs.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A randomized controlled animal study was performed in Jiangsu Institute of Schistosomiasis Control between August 2005 and November 2006. MATERIALS Eight rabbits were used to prepare ischemic models of hind limbs, and then they were randomly divided into experimental group (n=4) and control group (n=4).METHODS: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured from New Zealand rabbits in the experimental group, and they were then marked 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (Brdu). Suspension of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was injected into the ischemic hind limbs in the experimental group, while the same volume of saline was injected into the controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: After two weeks, two-dimensional and color Doppler ultrasound detection was used on rabbit femoral artery to measure inner diameter of blood vessel, peak velocity and acceleration time of blood flow before and after transplantation. Muscle tissues were obtained from ischemic regions to observe distribution of transplant cells and state of angiogenesis using immunofluorescence staining and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. RESULTS: Two weeks after transplantation, the inner diameter of femoral artery and the peak velocity of blood flow in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01), but the acceleration time of blood flow was shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Lmmunofluorescence staining showed that anti-Brdu-staining positive cells were found out in transplant part in the experimental group; while HE staining indicated that vessel density of ischemic region in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can promote angiogenesis, while autologous bone marrow mesenchymai stem cell transplantation will become a simple and effective method to treat lower limb ischemia.