Improved mesenchymal stem cell survival in ischemic heart through electroacupuncture.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) can promote cell survival and enhance heart function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy.


METHODS
MSCs were isolated from bone marrow and expanded in Minimum Essential Medium Alpha (α-MEM). MI was induced in 72 Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 30 min and reperfusion. MI rats randomly received injection of 1×10(6) DiI-labeled MSCs alone (n =24, MSC group), or plus electroacupuncture (EA) at Neiguan (PC6, n=24, EA+MSC group), or saline (n =24, saline group). EA treatment was performed for 4 days. Another 24 rats were subjected to chest-open surgery without LAD occlusion and treatment (sham group). Three time points, 4, 14 and 28 days (n =8 for each group) were included in this study. The survival of transplanted MSCs and the protective gene expression were analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot at day 4 and 14. Left ventricular remodeling, cardiac function, infarction area, fibrosis and capillary density were analyzed at day 28.


RESULTS
EA can enhance MSC survival (2.6-fold up) at day 4. Big capillary density was 53% higher in EA+MSC treated group than MSC alone group. Furthermore, the rats treated by EA reduced the fibrosis and had 36% smaller infarct size comparing to MSC alone. EA also attenuated left ventricular remodeling and enhanced the functional recovery of infarcted hearts at week 4.


CONCLUSIONS
EA at Neiguan acupoint can promote the stem cell survival and improve ischemic heart function. EA could become a useful approach in stem cell therapy for ischemia heart diseases.
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. zhjin@gzucm.edu.cn
Jin
J
Zhang
Xiao-Hua
XH
Jia
Zhi-Wei
ZW
Xu
Fu-Ping
FP
Ding
Xin
X
Zhou
Hao
H
Fu
Yi
Y
Liu
Lai-Liang
LL
Ou
Zong-Jin
ZJ
Li
De-Ling
DL
Kong
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology