Tissue regeneration observed in a basic fibroblast growth factor-loaded porous acellular bovine pericardium populated with mesenchymal stem cells.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to induce tissue regeneration within a porous patch for repair of a myocardial defect.


METHODS
A basic fibroblast growth factor-loaded porous bovine pericardium populated with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled mesenchymal stem cells was used as a cardiac patch (the basic fibroblast growth factor/mesenchymal stem cell patch) to repair a defect created in a syngeneic rat model. The blank porous pericardium (the control patch) and the patch loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor were used as controls. The implanted patches were retrieved at 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively (n = 5 per group at each time point).


RESULTS
At retrieval, we found that none of the patches were thinned or dilated. Endothelialization and remesothelialization were observed on the endocardial and epicardial surfaces of patches in each of the studied groups, respectively. Additionally, newly regenerated muscle fibers, glycosaminoglycans, smooth muscle cells, and microvessels were seen in the middle layers of all patches, an indication of tissue regeneration. However, the extents of tissue regeneration in the basic fibroblast growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor/mesenchymal stem cell patches were more pronounced than in those of the control patch. This may be attributed to the fact that the densities of neomicrovessels observed in the basic fibroblast growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor/mesenchymal stem cell patches were significantly greater than in those of the control patch. 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells were identified in the basic fibroblast growth factor/mesenchymal stem cells patch, and no cardiomyocytes were observed in the control and basic fibroblast growth factor patches.


CONCLUSIONS
The results provided evidence of tissue regeneration within a porous bovine pericardium through a process involving cell recruitment and tissue-specific differentiation.
Chang
Yen
Y
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Veterans General Hospital-Taichung and College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Lai
Po-Hong
PH
Wei
Hao-Ji
HJ
Lin
Wei-Wen
WW
Chen
Chun-Hung
CH
Hwang
Shiaw-Min
SM
Chen
Sung-Ching
SC
Sung
Hsing-Wen
HW
D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010496:Pericardium; D010784:Photomicrography; D016062:Porosity; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors