Muscle-derived stem cell sheets support pump function and prevent cardiac arrhythmias in a model of chronic myocardial infarction

Mol Ther. 2013 Mar;21(3):662-9. doi: 10.1038/mt.2012.266. Epub 2013 Jan 15.

Abstract

Direct intracardiac cell injection for heart repair is hindered by numerous limitations including: cell death, poor spreading of the injected cells, arrhythmia, needle injury, etc. Tissue-engineered cell sheet implantation has the potential to overcome some of these limitations. We evaluated whether the transplantation of a muscle-derived stem cell (MDSC) sheet could improve the regenerative capacity of MDSCs in a chronic model of myocardial infarction. MDSC sheet-implanted mice displayed a reduction in left ventricle (LV) dilation and sustained LV contraction compared with the other groups. The MDSC sheet formed aligned myotubes and produced a significant increase in capillary density and a reduction of myocardial fibrosis compared with the other groups. Hearts transplanted with the MDSC sheets did not display any significant arrhythmias and the donor MDSC survival rate was higher than the direct myocardial MDSC injection group. MDSC sheet implantation yielded better functional recovery of chronic infarcted myocardium without any significant arrhythmic events compared with direct MDSC injection, suggesting this cell sheet delivery system could significantly improve the myocardial regenerative potential of the MDSCs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / physiopathology
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / prevention & control*
  • Capillaries / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Muscle Cells / cytology*
  • Myoblasts / cytology
  • Myoblasts / metabolism
  • Myoblasts / transplantation
  • Myocardial Infarction / physiopathology*
  • Myocardial Infarction / therapy
  • Myocardium / cytology
  • Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Tissue Engineering*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
  • Ventricular Function, Left

Substances

  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A