Feasibility in improving heart function by smooth muscle cells transplantation into ischemic myocardium / 第三军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the feasibility in improving the heart function by smooth muscle cells transplantation into the ischemic myocardium model established by coronary artery ligation. Methods Myocardial infarct was produced by ligation of the left coronary artery. At 2 weeks after establishment of myocardial infarct, cultured fetal rat gatric smooth muscle cells marked with BrdU were transplanted into the ischemic myocardium by direct injection (transplantation group, n=10), or culture medium alone (control group, n=10). Heart function was assessed by echocardiography before and at 4 weeks after transplantation. At 4 weeks after transplantation, the hearts were harvested. The transplanted smooth muscle cells were assessed by immunostaining against BrdU and ?-SMA. Results The injected fetal smooth muscle cells survived in the infarcted regions and formed muscle-like tissues at the site of transplantation at 4 weeks after transplantation. The grafts thickened the wall of the left ventricle [(2.51?0.22) mm vs (1.32?0.16) mm, P