Comparison of the effects of intramyocardial and intravenous injections of human mesenchymal stem cells on cardiac regeneration after heart failure.

OBJECTIVES

Existing studies have demonstrated that intravenous and intramyocardial-administrated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) lead to tissue repair after cardiac disorders. We compared the efficiency of both administration methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A rat model of isoproterenol-induced heart failure (ISO-HF) was established to compare the effects of intravenous and intramyocardial-administrated MSCs on cardiac fibrosis and function. The animals were randomly assigned into six groups: i) control or normal, ii) ISO-HF (HF) iii) ISO-HF rats treated with intramyocardial administration of culture medium (HF+IM/CM), iv) ISO-HF rats treated with intravenous administration of culture medium ( HF+IV/CM), v) ISO-HF rats treated with intravenous administration of MSCs (HF+IV/MSCs), vi) ISO-HF rats treated with intramyocardial administration of MSCs ( HF+IM/MSCs). Cultured MSCs and culture medium were administrated at 4 weeks after final injection of ISO. Heart function, identification of MSCs, osteogenic differentiation, adipogenic differentiation, cardiac fibrosis and tissue damage were evaluated by echocardiography, flow-cytometery, von Kossa, oil red O, Masson's trichrome and H & E staining, respectively.

RESULTS

Both intravenous and intramyocardial MSCs therapy significantly improved heart function and reduced cardiac fibrosis and tissue damage (0.05), whereas the cultured medium had no beneficial effects.

CONCLUSION

In sum, our results confirm the validity of both administration methods in recovery of HF, but more future research is required.