Functional improvement of infarcted heart by co-injection of embryonic stem cells with temperature-responsive chitosan hydrogel.
Transplantation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can improve cardiac function in treatment of myocardial infarction. The low rate of cell retention and survival within the ischemic tissues makes the application of cell transplantation techniques difficult. In this study, we used a temperature-responsive chitosan hydrogel (as scaffold) combined with ESCs to maintain viable cells in the infarcted tissue. Temperature-responsive chitosan hydrogel was prepared and injected into the infarcted heart wall of rat infarction models alone or together with mouse ESCs. The result showed that the 24-h cell retention and 4 week graft size of both groups was significantly greater than with a phosphate buffered saline control. After 4 weeks of implantation, heart function, wall thickness, and microvessel densities within the infarct area improved in the chitosan + ESC, chitosan, and ESC group more than the PBS control. Of the three groups, the chitosan + ESC performed best. Results of this study indicate that temperature-responsive chitosan hydrogel is an injectable scaffold that can be used to deliver stem cells to infarcted myocardium. It can also increase cell retention and graft size. Cardiac function is well preserved, too.
Lu
Wen-Ning
WN
Department of Tissue Engineering, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Lü
Shuang-Hong
SH
Wang
Hai-Bin
HB
Li
De-Xue
DX
Duan
Cui-Mi
CM
Liu
Zhi-Qiang
ZQ
Hao
Tong
T
He
Wen-Jun
WJ
Xu
Bin
B
Fu
Qiang
Q
Song
Ying C
YC
Xie
Xiao-Hua
XH
Wang
Chang-Yong
CY
D000165:Acridine Orange / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000378:metabolism*; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism; D007267:Injections; D051379:Mice; D055806:Microvessels / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism; D011419:Propidium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D013696:Temperature; D014463:Ultrasonography
D007211:Indoles; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C070080:PKH 26; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011419:Propidium; C007293:DAPI; D048271:Chitosan; D000165:Acridine Orange