Repair of myocardial infarction by epicardial deposition of bone-marrow-cell-coated muscle patch in a murine model.
BACKGROUND
Myocardial infarction results in irreversible myocyte loss. In a murine model, we tested the feasibility of a novel repair technique combining bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation and cardiomyoplasty.


METHODS
Myocardial infarction was induced cryogenically in backcrossed ROSA 26 transgenic x C57BL/6J mice (n = 75). Thirty days later, surviving mice (n = 69) were randomized to sham treatment (rethoracotomy only; n = 11), patch only treatment (n = 29), or patch + BMC treatment (n = 29). Abdominal muscle patches were harvested from donor littermates not expressing the beta-galactosidase reporter gene and sutured on the epicardium directly above the infarct zone. Patch only-treated mice received uncoated patches. Patch + BMC-treated mice received patches coated with 5 x 10(6) beta-galactosidase-expressing BMCs embedded in a collagen-rich three-dimensional matrix.


RESULTS
Mortality rate was 52% after muscle patch implantation. Bone marrow cells were able to migrate from muscle patch into the infarct zone, as demonstrated by beta-galactosidase immunostaining, and ultimately constituted 8% of all cells in scar tissue (mean +/- standard deviation, 219 +/- 111/mm2). Angiogenesis and cell survival in the scar were improved by patch + BMC treatment. Left ventricular geometry and cardiac function were improved by patch treatment, with or without BMC, although the effects were stronger after patch + BMC treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Epicardial deposition of a BMC-coated muscle patch is a promising approach to restoring cardiac function after myocardial infarction.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Pessac, France. lesbarandon@wanadoo.fr
Laurent
L
Barandon
Thierry
T
Couffinhal
Pascale
P
Dufourcq
Philippe
P
Alzieu
Danièle
D
Daret
Claude
C
Deville
Cécile
C
Duplàa
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000637:transplantation*; D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D003094:Collagen; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007763:Lac Operon; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010496:Pericardium / Q000601:surgery*; D011897:Random Allocation; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic; D014945:Wound Healing
D003094:Collagen