Transplantation of 5-azacytidine treated cardiac fibroblasts improves cardiac function of infarct hearts in rats  

作　　者：TANG Cheng-chun MA Gen-shan CHEN Ji-yuan 

机构地区：[1]Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China

出　　处：《Chinese Medical Journal》2010年第18期2586-2592,共7页中华医学杂志（英文版）

摘　　要：Background Cellular cardiomyoplasty by transplantation of various cell types has been investigated as potential treatments for the improvement of cardiac function after myocardial injury. A major barrier for the clinical application of cell transplantation is obtaining sufficiently large quantities of suitable cells. AIIogeneic cellular cardiomyoplasty may provide an alternative source of abundant, transplantable, myogenic cells by in vitro manipulation of cardiac fibroblasts using chemicals including 5-azacytidine. This study evaluated cardiomyogenic differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts, their survival in myocardial scar tissue, and the effect of the implanted cells on heart function. Methods Primary cardiac fibroblasts from neonatal rats were treated with 5-azacytidine （10 pmol/L） or control. Treatment of 5-azacytidine caused myogenic differentiation of cultured cardiac fibroblasts, as defined by elongation and fusion into multinucleated myotubes with sarcomeric structures as identified by electron microscopy, and positive immunostaining for cardiac specific proteins, troponin I and 13-myosin heavy chain （13-MHC） and the gap junction protein connexin 43. The myogenic cells （1.0x106） were transplanted into the infarcted myocardium 2 weeks after coronary artery occlusion. Results By 1 month after transplantation, the converted fibroblasts gave rise to a cluster of cardiac-like muscle cells that in the hearts occupied a large part of the scar with positive immunostaining for the myogenic proteins troponin I and 13-MHC. Engrafted cells also expressed the gap junction protein connexin 43 in a disorganized manner. There was no positive staining in the control hearts treated with injections of culture medium. Heart function was evaluated at 6 weeks after myocardial injury with echocardiographic and hemodynamic measurements. Improvement in cardiac function was seen in the hearts transplanted with the 5-azacytidine-treated cardiac fibroblasts which was absent in the hearts treated with control. Conclusion Background Cellular cardiomyoplasty by transplantation of various cell types has been investigated as potential treatments for the improvement of cardiac function after myocardial injury. A major barrier for the clinical application of cell transplantation is obtaining sufficiently large quantities of suitable cells. AIIogeneic cellular cardiomyoplasty may provide an alternative source of abundant, transplantable, myogenic cells by in vitro manipulation of cardiac fibroblasts using chemicals including 5-azacytidine. This study evaluated cardiomyogenic differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts, their survival in myocardial scar tissue, and the effect of the implanted cells on heart function. Methods Primary cardiac fibroblasts from neonatal rats were treated with 5-azacytidine （10 pmol/L） or control. Treatment of 5-azacytidine caused myogenic differentiation of cultured cardiac fibroblasts, as defined by elongation and fusion into multinucleated myotubes with sarcomeric structures as identified by electron microscopy, and positive immunostaining for cardiac specific proteins, troponin I and 13-myosin heavy chain （13-MHC） and the gap junction protein connexin 43. The myogenic cells （1.0x106） were transplanted into the infarcted myocardium 2 weeks after coronary artery occlusion. Results By 1 month after transplantation, the converted fibroblasts gave rise to a cluster of cardiac-like muscle cells that in the hearts occupied a large part of the scar with positive immunostaining for the myogenic proteins troponin I and 13-MHC. Engrafted cells also expressed the gap junction protein connexin 43 in a disorganized manner. There was no positive staining in the control hearts treated with injections of culture medium. Heart function was evaluated at 6 weeks after myocardial injury with echocardiographic and hemodynamic measurements. Improvement in cardiac function was seen in the hearts transplanted with the 5-azacytidine-treated cardiac fibroblasts which was absent in the hearts treated with control. Conclusion

关 键 词：cardiac fibroblasts myocardial infarction TRANSPLANTATION 5-AZACYTIDINE 

分 类 号：R686[医药卫生—骨科学]