Allograftic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells transplanted into heart infarcted model of rabbit to renovate infarcted heart.

Objective: To investigate the directed transplantation of allograftic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in myocardial infarcted (MI) model rabbits.

Materials and methods: Rabbits were divided into 3 groups, heart infarcted model with MSCs transplanted treatment (MSCs group, n = 12), heart infarcted model with PBS injection (control group, n = 20), sham operation with PBS injection (sham group, n = 17). MSCs labelled by BrdUrd were injected into the MI area of the MSCs group. The same volume of PBS was injected into the MI area of the control group and sham group. The mortality, LVIDd, LVIDs and LVEF of the two groups were compared 4 weeks later. Tropomyosin inhibitory component (Tn I) and BrdUrd immunohistochemistry identified the engrafted cells 4 weeks after transplantation.

Result: The mortality of the MSCs group was 16.7% (2/12), and remarkably lower than the control group's mortality [35% (7/20) (P < 0.05)]. Among the animals that survived for 4 weeks, the LVIDd and LVIDs of the MSCs group after operation were 1.17+/-0.21 cm and 0.74+/-0.13 cm, and remarkably lower than those of the model group, which were 1.64+/-0.14 cm and 1.19+/-0.12 cm (P < 0.05); the LVEF of the MSCs group after operation was 63+/-6%, and remarkably higher than that of the model group, which was 53+/-6% (P < 0.05). Among the 10 cases of animals that survived for 4 weeks in the MSCs group, in 8 cases (80%), the transplanted cells survived in the non MI, MI region and its periphery, and even farther away; part of them differentiated into cardiomyocytes; in 7 cases (70%), the transplanted cells participated in the formation of blood vessel tissue in the MI region.

Conclusion: Transplanted allograftic MSCs can survive and differentiate into cardiomyocytes, form the blood vessels in the MI region. MSCs transplantation could improve the heart function after MI.