Use of repeating dispensers to increase the efficiency of the intramuscular myogenic cell injection procedure

Intramuscular myoblast transplantation in humans and nonhuman primates requires precise repetitive cell injections very close to each other. Performed with syringes operated manually throughout large regions, this procedure takes a lot of time, becoming tiring and thus imprecise. We tested two repetitive dispensers with Hamilton syringes as cell injection devices to facilitate this procedure. Monkeys received intramuscular allotransplantations of beta-galactosidase-labeled myoblasts, using either a monosyringe or a multisyringe repeating dispenser. The monosyringe repeating dispenser allowed performing cell injections faster and easier than with a manually operated syringe. The multisyringe dispenser accelerated the procedure still more, but it was not ergonomic. Biopsies of the myoblast-injected sites 1 month later showed abundant beta-galactosidase-positive myofibers, with the same density and morphological pattern observed following myoblast transplantation with a syringe operated manually. We recommend the monosyringe repeating dispenser for myoblast transplantation in skeletal muscles and maybe in the heart.