title: Functional improvement of infarcted heart by co-injection of embryonic stem cells with temperature-responsive chitosan hydrogel.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Wen-Ning
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shuang-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Hai-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: De-Xue
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cui-Mi
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Ying C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Chang-Yong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C070080:PKH 26; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011419:Propidium; C007293:DAPI; D048271:Chitosan; D000165:Acridine Orange