Protective effect of sodium ascorbate on efficacy of intramuscular transplantation of autologous muscle-derived cells

Introduction: The possible reason for elimination of myogenic cells after transplantation is inflammation at the injection site associated with oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to determine whether preconditioning of muscle-derived cells with an antioxidant, sodium ascorbate, can influence the fate of transplanted cells.Methods: Autologous transplantation of muscle-derived cells was performed in rabbits. Isolated cells were identified, lipofected with b-galactosidase, preincubated or not with sodium ascorbate, and injected intramuscularly. Results: Two weeks after autologous transplantation in the edge of a previous muscle defect, donor cells formed multinucleated young myotubes. Pretreatment of cells with sodium ascorbate before injection resulted in a significant increase of donor cells at the injection site 2 weeks after transfer. Conclusions: These results show that: (1) preincubation with antioxidant can increase the efficacy of myogenic cell transplantation; and (2) oxidative stress may play a role in elimination of cells after autologous transplantation. Muscle Nerve 45: 32-38, 2012