Myocardial Regeneration Improves Heart Function

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-20-1998

Description

Heart failure, the only cardiovascular disorder increasing in prevalence, afflicts 4.7 million Americans and costs more than 17.8 billion each year. This has been attributed to the fact that adult mammalian ventricular muscle cells are terminally differentiated cells which have lost their ability to multiply by cell division. This study is to use myogenic stem cells (satellite cells) from skeletal muscle to generate new heart muscles in the damaged heart for functional improvement. Autologous satellite cells were isolated from mongrel dogs before cultured, labeled (lac Z), and implanted into the injured myocardium (2 hrs coronary occlusion). Multiple necrotic sites were observed initially at the ischemic zone with satellite cells (X-Gal positive) and survived the early healing process. The implanted satellite cells gradually surrounded and infiltrated into the injured myocardium and eventually formed the new muscle tissue expressing β-galactosidase activity. For the control hearts (given culture medium), scar tissue was observed in the injured areas of myocardium. Change in wall thickness during each cardiac cycle was determined using the sonomicrometer. The regional wall thickening was not different from a normal heart at the regenerated myocardium. However, thinning and bulging during systole were observed for the control hearts at the injury sites. This result suggested that autologous satellite cells implanted into injured heart not only formed muscle cells similar to cardiomyocytes, but also restored the function of infarcted myocardium.

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