Transplantation of bcl-2 gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells improves cardiac function and angiogenesis in rabbit ischemic car-diac insufficiency model / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the effects of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs) modified by bcl-2 gene on myocardial cell apoptosis, angiogenesis and cardiac function in the rabbit after acute myocardial in-farction ( MI) .METHODS:The rabbit BMSCs were isolated, cultured and purified in vitro.The BMSCs were transfected with adenovirus or adenovirus-Bcl-2.The rabbit model of MI was established by ligation of left anterior descending branch. The rabbits were injected with Ad-Bcl-2-BMSCs ( MI+Bcl-2-BMSCs group) , Ad-BMSCs ( MI+BMSCs group) and DMEM ( MI group) in infarction marginal zone 2 weeks after ligation.The cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography.The apoptosis of myocardial cells was measured by TUNEL.The mRNA expression of VEGF was detected by real-time PCR.The expression of CD31 was examined by immunohistochemical staining, and new blood capillaries were counted at 4 weeks after BMSCs transplantation.The correlation of the above values with cardiac function was analyzed.RESULTS: The cardiac function was better, the apoptotic rate was lower, the mRNA expression of VEGF and the capillary density were higher in both MI+Bcl-2-BMSCs group and the MI+BMSCs group than those in MI group, and those in MI+Bcl-2-BMSCs group in-creased more obviously .The left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF) had a negative correlation with the myocardial cell ap-optosis rate.A positive correlation with the mRNA expression level of VEGF and the capillary density was also observed. CONCLUSION:The transplantation of BMSCs modified by bcl-2 gene significantly reduces the myocardial cell apoptosis, promotes angiogenesis, improves heart function of the rabbits with MI.