Comparison of intracardiac cell transplantation: autologous skeletal myoblasts versus bone marrow cells.
BACKGROUND
Multiple cell types are being proposed for cardiac repair, but side-by-side comparisons are lacking. We tested the hypothesis that intracardiac transplantation of autologous bone marrow- or skeletal muscle-derived progenitor cells improve regional heart function to a similar degree.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine New Zealand White rabbits underwent cryoinjury of the left ventricle and simultaneous hind limb bone marrow aspiration or soleus muscle biopsy. Both muscle and bone marrow cells were expanded in vitro. After 2 weeks, 10(8) skeletal muscle (SM group) or bone marrow-derived progenitor cells (BM group) were injected into the cryoinjured region (SM: n=12; BM: n=8). Medium alone was injected into the remaining animals (Control: n=16). Regional systolic function was measured using micromanometry and sonomicrometry at baseline, before, and 4 weeks after cell injection. Cell treatment resulted in a similar degree of improvement in a derivative of stroke work in the SM and BM groups (P=0.0026 and P=0.0085 versus Control, respectively). No significant difference was seen between BM and SM groups (P=0.9). On histology, engrafted cells were found in all of the cell treated animals. Injected myoblasts formed myotubes or muscle cells throughout the scar that expressed slow and fast myosin heavy chain. A subset of bone marrow cells differentiated toward a myogenic phenotype, as indicated by expression of desmin and alpha-sarcomeric actin in the engrafted areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Transplantation and myogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells increased regional systolic heart function after myocardial injury to a similar degree as skeletal myoblasts.
Thompson
Richard B
RB
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Emani
Sitaram M
SM
Davis
Bryce H
BH
van den Bos
Ewout J
EJ
Morimoto
Yoshihisa
Y
Craig
Damian
D
Glower
Donald
D
Taylor
Doris A
DA
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006439:Hemodynamics; D008365:Manometry; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation*; D011817:Rabbits; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left