title: Cell transplantation for myocardial injury: a preliminary comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cell transplantation may restore viable muscle after myocardial infarction. Because many studies have focused on one cell type, we compared the characteristics of skeletal myoblasts (SKM), bone marrow stromal/stem cells (BMSC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) and their effects on cardiac function after myocardial injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro cell characteristics, including proliferation, hypoxic survival and vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) expression, of SKM, BMSC and SMC were compared. An in vivo left anterior descending artery ligation rat model was used, and cells were implanted into the infarct (n = 16 per cell type). Cell survival was determined by PKH26 staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cardiac function, tissue VEGF and stem cell factor (SCF) expression and vasculogenesis were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although cell morphologies were distinct, in vitro proliferation was similar. In vitro studies showed that SKM had the highest hypoxic survival, whereas BMSC had the lowest hypoxic survival but the highest VEGF expression. After implantation, SKM showed the highest overall survival and in vivo SCF expression, and both SMC and SKM expressed the highest VEGF levels. Vasculogenesis was significantly (P < 0.001) improved after transplantation of each cell type. Overall, BMSC and SKM promoted the greatest improvement in cardiac function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SKM, BMSC and SMC expressed VEGF and SCF and promoted vasculogenesis. Although BMSC showed the greatest regenerative potential relative to cell survival and growth factor expression, the greatest improvement in cardiac function was observed with BMSC and SKM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Dann
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Hsin-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yu-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A