Comparison of cell labeling procedures for bone marrow cell transplantation to treat heart failure: long-term quantitative analysis

Adult stem cells for cardiac repair: a choice between skeletal myoblasts and bone marrow stem cells

The real promise of a stem cell-based approach for cardiac regeneration and repair lies in the promotion of myogenesis and angiogenesis at the site of the cell graft to achieve both structural and functional benefits. Despite all of the progress and promise in this field, many unanswered questions remain; the answers to these questions will provide the much-needed breakthrough to harness the real benefits of cell therapy for the heart in the clinical perspective. One of the major issues is the choice of donor cell type for transplantation. Multiple cell types with varying potentials have been assessed for their ability to repopulate the infarcted myocardium; however, only the adult stem cells, that is, skeletal myoblasts (SkM) and bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMC), have been translated from the laboratory bench to clinical use. Which of these two cell types will provide the best option for clinical application in heart cell therapy remains arguable. With results pouring in from the long-term follow-ups of previously conducted phase I clinical studies, and with the onset of phase II clinical trials involving larger population of patients, transplantation of stem cells as a sole therapy without an adjunct conventional revascularization procedure will provide a deeper insight into the effectiveness of this approach. The present article discusses the pros and cons of using SkM and BMC individually or in combination for cardiac repair, and critically analyzes the progress made with each cell type.

Bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation had beneficial effects on doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

Cell transplantation is a promising therapy for treating end-stage heart failure. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) have been used to enhance angiogenesis in ischemic heart disease. However, the effect of BMMNC transplantation in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of BMMNC transplantation in doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy in a rat model.

METHODS

Doxorubicin (15 mg/kg, IP) was introduced into 52 Lewis rats. They were divided into 3 groups at 4 weeks after injection: transplant group (TX, BMMNC [1 x 10(6)] implantation, n = 18), control group (CN, saline injection, n = 18), and sham group (SH, thoracotomy, n = 16). At 4 weeks after surgery, we used echocardiography to measure systolic left ventricular diameter (LVDs), diastolic left ventricular diameter (LVDd), fractional shortening (FS), and left ventricular wall thickness/LVDs. We used a Langendorff apparatus to measure systolic, diastolic, and developed pressures. We used radioimmunoassay to measure circulating atrial natriuretic peptide concentration, and we performed histologic study, including electron-microscopic study.

RESULTS

Left ventricular wall thickness/LVDs in the TX group was the largest of all groups (p < 0.05). Systolic and developed pressures in the TX group were the greatest (p < 0.005). Systolic left ventricular diameter, FS, and end-diastolic pressure in the TX group were smaller than in the SH group (p < 0.05). These cardiac parameters did not differ significantly between TX and CN groups, but secondary changes (decreased heart weight, developed ascites, and increased atrial natriuretic peptide concentration) caused by doxorubicin-induced heart failure were most attenuated in the TX group. In the TX group, vascular density was greatest (p < 0.05) in the left ventricular free wall and in the septum. In addition, electron microscopy showed that myocardium in the TX group was most maintained.

CONCLUSION

Bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation had beneficial effects in doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.