Improvement of cardiac function and remodeling by transplanting adipose tissue-derived stromal cells into a mouse model of acute myocardial infarction

Background: We investigated the effect of adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSC) therapy on cardiac contractility and remodeling in the C57BL/6 mouse model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: 30 adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into 2 groups, namely, AMI+media (control, n=15) and AMI+ADSC (n=15). AMI was produced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. After AMI induction, 1x10(6) ADSC or media were intramyocardially injected and the results compared. Echocardiographic and histological analyses of surviving mice (n=20) were conducted. Echocardiography was performed before cell implantation and 2 weeks after transplantation. Results: LVEF and FS improved in the ADSC group compared to the control (P<0.01). LVEDD in the ADSC group decreased slightly from 4.65 +/- 0.63 mm to 4.14 +/- 0.53 mm compared to the control, but there was no statistical difference (P=0.072). LVESD decreased significantly in the ADSC group (P<0.05). A significant difference in scar formation and infarct size was observed between the ADSC and control group 2 weeks after AMI (P<0.05). ADSC were observed to migrate into injured sites and integrate into scar areas and increased vascular density in the infarct site compared to control group (P<0.05). Additionally, some transplanted ADSC expressed the endothelial marker. Conclusions: Echocardiography and histological analysis revealed that improvement in cardiac function and ventricular remodeling was better in the ADSC group than in the control. This suggests that ADSC is a good candidate for cell therapy in cardiovascular disease. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.