ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Tetsuro Sakai
Richard D. Weisel
Shinji Tomita
Terrence M. Yau
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sakai, T.
Right arrow Articles by Yau, T. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sakai, T.
Right arrow Articles by Yau, T. M.

Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:2074-2080
© 1999 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons


Original Articles: Cardiovascular

Autologous heart cell transplantation improves cardiac function after myocardial injury

Tetsuro Sakai, MDa, Ren-Ke Li, MD, PhDa, Richard D. Weisel, MDa, Donald A.G. Mickle, MDa, Eung-Joong Kim, MDa, Shinji Tomita, MDa, Zhi-Qian Jia, MDa, Terrence M. Yau, MDa

a Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Address reprint requests to Dr Li, General Division, The Toronto Hospital, CCRW 1-815, 101 College St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4;
e-mail: rli{at}torhosp.toronto.on.ca

Presented at the Thirty-fifth Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, San Antonio, TX, Jan 25–27, 1999.


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Material and methods
 Results
 Comment
 References
 
Background. Fetal ventricular cardiomyocyte transplantation into a cardiac scar improved ventricular function, but these cells were eventually eliminated by rejection. We therefore examined the feasibility of autologous adult heart cell transplantation.

Methods. A transmural scar was produced in the left ventricular free wall of adult rats by cryoinjury. The left atrial appendage was harvested, and the atrial heart cells were cultured and their number expanded ex vivo. Three weeks after cryoinjury, either a cell suspension (2 x 106 cells, n = 12 rats, transplant group) or culture medium (n = 10 rats, control group) was injected into the scar. Rats having a sham operation (n = 5) did not undergo cryoinjury or transplantation with cells or culture medium.

Results. Five weeks after injection, ventricular function was evaluated in a Langendorff preparation, measuring systolic, diastolic, and developed pressures over a range of intraventricular balloon volumes. Systolic and developed pressures were greater in the transplant group than in the control group (p = 0.0001). Rats with a sham operation had the greatest systolic, diastolic, and developed pressures (p = 0.0001). Histologic studies demonstrated survival of the transplanted heart cells within the scar. The area of the scar was smaller (p = 0.0003) and its thickness greater (p = 0.0003) in rats in the transplant group. Left ventricular chamber volume was smaller in the transplant group (p = 0.043).

Conclusions. Transplantation of autologous cultured adult atrial heart cells limited scar thinning and dilatation and improved myocardial function compared with results in control hearts. This technique may lead to a novel therapy to prevent scar expansion after a myocardial infarction and prevent the development of congestive heart failure.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Material and methods
 Results
 Comment
 References
 
Cell transplantation has been examined in many recent studies as a potential method to repair a damaged heart [1, 2]. The loss of cardiomyocytes after a myocardial infarction frequently results in thinning and dilatation of the resulting scar that can contribute to the associated ventricular dysfunction. Introducing viable cardiomyocytes into the scar region may modify the remodeling process and prevent heart failure.

Successful transplantation of cultured cardiomyocytes into normal myocardium was reported in the early 1990s [3, 4]. In 1996, we [5] reported that transplanted fetal cardiomyocytes improved heart function after cardiac injury. Cultured fetal cardiomyocytes were injected into the scarred area 4 weeks after cryoinjury. Four weeks after transplantation, the transplanted cardiomyocytes formed cardiac tissue, limited scar expansion, and improved ventricular function.

Several concerns have been expressed about the use of fetal cardiomyocytes. First, fetal cells are subject to rejection because they are either allografts [6] or xenografts [7], thus necessitating extensive immunosuppression; this limits the clinical utility of the technique. Second, the use of human fetal cardiomyocytes raises major ethical concerns. Transplantation of cells from established cell lines such as AT-1 cardiomyocytes [4] or C2C12 myoblasts [8] may carry an additional potential risk of continued, uncontrolled hyperplasia of the transformed cells. The use of autologous adult cells may avoid both the problems of immunorejection and the risk of uncontrolled growth. Autologous adult heart cells are available from biopsy specimens, and their numbers can be expanded in vitro. They may be an ideal source of cells for transplantation. This study was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of transplantation of autologous cultured adult heart cells.


    Material and methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Material and methods
 Results
 Comment
 References
 
Twenty-seven adult Sprague-Dawley male rats (Lewis; Charles River Canada Inc, Quebec, PQ, Canada) weighing 308 to 433 g (mean weight, 374 ± 33 g [± standard deviation]) underwent operations including sham procedures. All experiments were performed according to the "Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals" of the Canadian Council on Animal Care and the "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals" published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH publication 85-23, revised 1985). All procedures performed on animals were approved by the Animal Care Committee of The Toronto Hospital.

Anesthesia and postoperative care of rats
Adult rats were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg) followed by an intramuscular administration of ketamine hydrochloride (22 mg/kg). The anesthetized rats were endotracheally intubated. Positive-pressure ventilation was maintained at a rate of 60 cycles per minute with a tidal volume of 3 mL with room air supplemented with oxygen (2 L/min) using a Harvard ventilator (Harvard Apparatus model 683). Penlong XL (penicillin G benzathine, 150,000 U/mL, and penicillin G procaine, 150,000 U/mL) was given intramuscularly (0.4 mL per rat) preoperatively. The rats were monitored for 4 hours postoperatively and then returned to cages with filter tops.

Myocardial scar formation
With the animal under general anesthesia as just described, a 2-cm left lateral thoracotomy was made. The pericardium was opened, and the heart was exposed. The left atrial appendage was ligated at its base with 5-0 silk suture, excised, and stored in cold culture medium for cell isolation. An elliptic metal probe 8 x 10 mm in diameter was cooled to -190°C by immersion in liquid nitrogen and applied to the left ventricular free wall (LVFW) between the left anterior descending coronary artery and the posterolateral branch for 1 minute to produce a cryoinjury. This procedure was repeated ten times. The thoracotomy was closed in layers with 2-0 silk running sutures. For the group having a sham procedure, the left atrial appendage was removed and the chest incision was closed without scar generation by cryoinjury.

Cell culture and preparation for transplantation
Heart cells from the harvested left atrial appendage (wet weight, 12.9 ± 4.3 mg) of each rat were isolated and cultured by methods we [9] have previously described. In brief, the cells were washed in phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS) (in millimoles per liter: NaCl, 136.9; KCl, 2.7; Na2HPO4, 8.1; KH2PO4, 1.5; pH 7.3) three times to remove any blood and clots. The left atrial appendage was minced with fine scissors and incubated in PBS containing trypsin (0.5%), collagenase (0.1%), and glucose (0.02%) for 30 minutes at 37°C. The myocardial cells were separated by repeated shaking of the digested myocardial tissue.

The cells in the supernatant were transferred into a tube containing 20 mL of culture medium (Iscove’s modified Dulbecco’s medium [GIBCO Laboratory, Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY] containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 0.1 mmol/L ß-mercaptoethanol, 100 U/mL of penicillin, and 100 µg/mL of streptomycin sulfate). Then the tube was centrifuged at 600 g for 5 minutes. The cell pellet was resuspended in 20 mL of culture medium, evenly plated on two dishes 100 mm in diameter, and incubated at 37°C in 5% carbon dioxide and 95% air. The culture medium was changed every 3 to 4 days.

The cells increased in number and became confluent in the culture dish 10 to 14 days after seeding. The cells were then detached from the dish with 1 mL of 0.05% trypsin in PBS solution and plated on six dishes 100 mm in diameter. On the day of transplantation, the confluent cells were detached from the six culture dishes as described, and the cell pellet was resuspended in the culture medium at a concentration of 2 x 106 cells in 0.05 mL.

Heart cell transplantation
Three weeks after cryoinjury, rats underwent general anesthesia, and their hearts were exposed through a median sternotomy. At the time of operation, animals were randomly selected for transplantation with cultured atrial heart cells or injection with medium control. For the transplant group (n = 12), a suspension of cultured autologous atrial cells in 0.05 mL of culture medium (2 x 106 cells) was injected into the center of the scar tissue of the LVFW using a tuberculin syringe. During the injection procedure, the puncture sites were sealed with drops of cryoprecipitate and thrombin solutions. In the control group (n = 10), 0.05 mL of cell culture medium was injected in the same manner. The chest was closed in layers with 2-0 silk sutures. The group having a sham procedure underwent chest opening but no injection of cells or culture medium.

Determination of cultured cell purity
The purity of the cardiomyocytes after 3 weeks in cell culture was evaluated using a monoclonal antibody against myosin heavy chain (Rougier Bio-Tech Ltd, Quebec, PQ, Canada). The cultured cells were washed with PBS and fixed with 100% methanol at -20°C for 15 minutes. The cells were washed with PBS three times and incubated with the antibody against myosin heavy chain at 37°C for 45 minutes. The cells were then washed three times with PBS for 15 minutes each at room temperature and exposed to a rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin G conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate for 45 minutes at 37°C in the dark. The cells again were washed three times with PBS, mounted, and then photographed using light and ultraviolet microscopes. The purity of the cardiomyocyte cultures was determined by counting the percentage of stained cells in ten random fields per dish.

Identification of transplanted cells
Transplanted cells within the cardiac scar were identified by immunocytochemical labeling of the cultured cells in vitro with the thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) (n = 4). When the cultured cells reached 50% confluence, 25 µL of 0.4% BrdU solution was added to the culture dishes, and they were incubated for 48 hours. The efficiency of BrdU incorporation into the cultured cells was determined by counting the percentage of BrdU–stained cells in ten random fields per dish. The BrdU–labeled cells were transplanted as previously described. At the end of the study, a monoclonal antibody against BrdU was used to localize the labeled transplanted cells in the scar [10].

Myocardial function study
Five weeks after transplantation, heart function in the three groups was evaluated in a Langendorff preparation [11]. The rats were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital (26 mg/kg) followed by intramuscular administration of ketamine hydrochloride (88 mg/kg) and heparin sodium (200 units) administered intravenously. The hearts were quickly excised and perfused in a Langendorff apparatus with filtered Krebs-Henseleit buffer (in millimoles per liter: NaCl, 118; KCl, 4.7; KH2PO4, 1.2; CaCl2, 2.5; MgSO4, 1.2; NaHCO3, 25; glucose, 11; pH 7.4) equilibrated with 5% carbon dioxide and 95% oxygen.

A latex balloon was inserted into the left ventricle through the mitral valve and connected to a pressure transducer (model p10EZ; Viggo-Spectramed, Oxnard, CA), a transducer amplifier, and a differentiator amplifier (model 13-6615-50 and model 11-G4113-01, respectively; Gould Instrument System Inc, Valley View, OH). After 30 minutes of stabilization at 37°C, coronary flow was measured by taking the mean value of 2-minute timed collections of the buffered solution in an empty beating state. The balloon volume was initially set at 0.04 mL and then increased in 0.02-mL increments to 0.48 mL by the stepwise addition of saline solution. The systolic and diastolic pressures, the maximal rate of myocardial contraction, and the maximal rate of myocardial relaxation were recorded at each balloon volume, and the developed pressure was calculated as the difference between peak systolic pressure and end-diastolic pressure. After the measurements were completed, the heart was arrested by injection of 10 mL of a 20% solution of KCl into the aortic root.

Measurement of left ventricular remodeling
After arrest of the heart, the ventricular volume was measured as described by Pfeffer and associates [12]. The left ventricle was distended to a balloon pressure of 30 mm Hg, and the volume required was designated the ventricular chamber volume. The heart was fixed with 10% phosphate-buffered formalin solution in the distended state. Two days after fixation, the balloon was removed, and the atria and great arteries were excised. The heart was weighed. The epicardial and endocardial surface areas of the LVFW and those of the cryoinjury-derived scar tissue on the LVFW were measured by planimetry as previously described [5]. Briefly, the heart was cut into slices 3 mm thick. Each heart yielded five slices. On both the apical and basal surfaces of the slices, the areas and the lengths of the myocardium and the scar were traced on transparencies and then quantified using computed planimetry (Jandal Scientific, Sigma-Scan, Corte Madera, CA). The total surface area of the scar tissue and that of the LVFW were measured as the sum of the epicardial length and the endocardial length times the slice thickness (3 mm).

The cryoinjury-created lesion was defined as the area of the LVFW covered by epicardial scar. The mean wall thickness (MWTh) of this lesion was calculated as follows: The mean wall thickness was calculated on each slice of the heart specimen except the most apical or the most basal slice. All the mean wall thicknesses were then averaged to yield the total mean wall thickness of the lesion.

Histologic studies
The heart sections were fixed in 5% glacial acetic acid in methanol, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned to produce specimens 10 µm thick. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin as described in the manufacturer’s specification (Sigma Diagnostics, St. Louis, MO).

Data analysis
All data are expressed as the mean ± the standard deviation, unless otherwise indicated. Data from the studies of ventricular function were analyzed with the SAS software package for Windows v. 6.12 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC) and the other data, with the SPSS software package for Windows v. 8.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Comparisons of continuous variables between the three groups were performed by a one-way analysis of variance, and differences were specified by Duncan’s multiple range test. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Indices of ventricular function were evaluated by an analysis of covariance, using intraventricular balloon volume as the covariate and systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, developed pressure, maximal rate of myocardial contraction, and maximal rate of myocardial relaxation as dependent variables. Group, volume, and interaction between group x volume were examined. If no significant interactive effect was observed, only the main effects were modeled. When the analysis of covariance identified a significant difference, multiple pairwise comparisons were performed to specify which groups were different.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Material and methods
 Results
 Comment
 References
 
Histologic analysis
The atrial heart cells were isolated and cultured. The viable cells attached to the culture dish within 48 hours and increased in number (Fig 1). The purity of the cultured cardiomyocytes was more than 90%, as identified by immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibody against myosin heavy chain (Fig 2).



View larger version (149K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig 1. Adult rat atrial heart cells in cell culture prior to transplantation. (x100 before 54% reduction.)

 


View larger version (102K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig 2. Identification of cultured cardiomyocytes: (A) cultured cardiomyocytes after immunofluorescence staining with monoclonal antibody against myosin heavy chain and (B) the same microscopic field without immunofluorescence. (Both: x200 before 54% reduction.)

 
Five weeks after transplantation, the cryoinjury-derived region in the control group showed extensive scar formation (Fig 3). In the transplant group, the atrial cells labeled with BrdU (labeling efficiency, 61% ± 6%; n = 4) were identified in the scar tissue (Fig 4). Transplanted cells formed tissue in the cardiac scar, but the tissue did not have the typical structure of cardiac muscle. The cells were not arranged in a consistent orientation as found in vivo in the atrium or the ventricle. No lymphocyte infiltration was noted around the transplanted cells, thus indicating that autologous cell transplantation did not induce the inflammatory response associated with immunorejection.



View larger version (152K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig 3. Representative photomicrograph of cryoinjury-produced scar lesion in control group. (Hematoxylin and eosin; x200 before 54% reduction.)

 


View larger version (124K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig 4. Identification of transplanted heart cells within cardiac scar 5 weeks after transplantation: (A) hematoxylin and eosin staining and (B) double staining of the same microscopic field with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and hematoxylin. The nuclei of cells incorporating BrdU were stained black (black arrow), and nuclei of cells not taking up BrdU remained blue (white arrow). (Both: x200 before 54% reduction.)

 
Ventricular function
There were no significant differences in heart to body weight ratio, coronary flow, or heart rate between the three groups at the time of the functional study. Animals with sham operations had significantly higher systolic, diastolic, and developed pressures and greater maximal rates of myocardial contraction and relaxation than the transplant and control groups (p = 0.0001). The diastolic pressure–volume relation was not different between the transplant and control groups (p = 0.23). Systolic and developed pressures as well as maximal rates of myocardial contraction and relaxation were significantly better in the transplant group than in the control group (all, p = 0.0001) (Fig 5).



View larger version (40K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig 5. Developed, peak systolic, and end-diastolic pressures, maximal rate of myocardial contraction (+dP/dtmax), and maximal rate of myocardial relaxation (-dP/dtmax) of sham operation, control, and transplant groups over a range of intraventricular balloon volumes. Data are shown as the mean ± the standard error of the mean. Developed and peak systolic pressures, +dP/dtmax, and -dP/dtmax were significantly greater in the transplant group than in the control group (all, p = 0.0001) but were still significantly lower than the values in the group having sham procedures (all, p = 0.0001). End-diastolic pressures in the sham operation group were significantly higher than in the transplant or control group (both, p = 0.0001), but there was no significant difference between the latter two groups (p = 0.23).

 
Evaluation of left ventricular remodeling
The ratio of the left ventricular chamber volume to body weight was significantly smaller in the transplant group than in the control group (p = 0.043) (Table 1). The mean wall thickness of the scar zone was significantly greater in the transplant group than in the control group (p = 0.0003). The scar area was significantly smaller in the transplant group (150 ± 36 mm2) than in the control group (196 ± 23 mm2) (p = 0.0003), and there was no significant difference in the total area of the LVFW between the transplant group (516 ± 79 mm2) and the controls (512 ± 51 mm2) (p = 0.89). Thus, the ratio of the scar area to the LVFW area was significantly smaller in the transplant group than in the control group (p = 0.0003) (see Table 1).


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 1. Left Ventricular Remodeling After Cell Transplantationa

 

    Comment
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Material and methods
 Results
 Comment
 References
 
Cultured fetal cardiomyocytes have been extensively investigated as a source of cells for cell transplantation into the myocardium [3, 57, 1315]. Under ex vivo culture conditions, fetal cardiomyocytes contracted spontaneously and proliferated [6, 9]. After transplantation into the scar of a damaged heart, these cardiomyocytes formed a cardiac tissue that preserved wall thickness, prevented ventricular distention, and preserved cardiac function [5, 15]. In addition, transplanted fetal cardiomyocytes were able to form junctions with the normal cardiomyocytes [3], potentially allowing synchronous contraction with the native cardiomyocytes. These findings support the potential effectiveness of cell transplantation as an alternative therapy for patients with ischemic heart disease.

The major drawback of fetal cardiomyocytes as a cell source for cell transplantation is the inevitable immunorejection of allogenic or xenogenic transplants. We [6] found that rejection resulted in the gradual elimination of all the transplanted fetal cardiomyocytes despite immunosuppression with cyclosporin A (5 mg · kg-1 · d-1). Fetal cardiomyocyte transplantation therefore delayed but did not prevent the ultimate thinning and dilatation of the cryoinjury-produced scar. In an attempt to avoid this rejection phenomenon, we have undertaken several studies of autologous heart cell transplantation.

Skeletal satellite cells have been used as a source of autologous cells for transplantation into the heart [16, 17]. Chiu and colleagues [16] transplanted cultured autologous satellite cells into the left ventricle of a canine heart immediately after cryoinjury. They showed histologic evidence that implanted satellite cells coupled with each other by intercellular junctions resembling gap junctions or intercalated discs. Taylor and associates [17] transplanted satellite cells into the cryoinjured myocardium of rabbits and documented survival of the transplanted cells and improvement in ventricular function. However, the isolation and culture of a sufficient number of satellite cells for transplantation can be difficult, as their population in the muscle tissue is low, and the duration of maintenance of these cells in culture must be less than 3 days to prevent early differentiation into skeletal muscle cells [16].

In this study, we investigated the efficacy of transplanted cultured autologous adult atrial heart cells in the improvement of ventricular function after myocardial cryoinjury. The left atrial appendage was selected as the source of these autologous heart cells because the harvesting of the left atrial appendage is technically easy and its removal is unlikely to affect ventricular function. Atrial cardiomyocytes cultured in the presence of fetal serum resembled immature cardiomyocytes more than cultured ventricular cardiomyocytes [18], which may indicate a greater capacity to proliferate than cultured ventricular cardiomyocytes. Culture of atrial cardiomyocytes may be more technically straightforward than that of ventricular cardiomyocytes.

In the present study, we found that the transplanted cultured heart cells survived in the scar tissue for 5 weeks. The transplanted cells modified the remodeling process of the left ventricle, preventing left ventricular chamber volume dilatation, preserving wall thickness, and minimizing expansion of the cryoinjury-produced scar. The transplant group generated greater developed pressure and a higher maximal rate of myocardial contraction at any balloon volume than did the control group. The smaller left ventricular chamber volume in the transplant group may have been the major contributor to the improvement in ventricular function. Further studies are required to establish the mechanisms by which transplantation of adult atrial heart cells may improve heart function, including potential angiogenesis or release of growth factors.

The future clinical applications of cardiomyocyte transplantation are intriguing. In patients who have sustained a myocardial infarction but who are not candidates for standard surgical therapies, heart cells could be obtained from the atrial appendage during a port access procedure. The cells could be expanded in vitro for several weeks and then injected into the infarct region through a minimally invasive approach. This cell transplantation approach may prevent thinning and dilatation of the injured region and maintain cardiac function. In addition, transfection of these cultured heart cells may allow expression of specific transgenes to induce angiogenesis, hypertrophy, or other therapeutic effects [19, 20].


    Acknowledgments
 
We thank Dr Guang Ming Li, Ms Dev Olshansky, and Mr James C. Ho for the preparation of the histologic material.

Ren-Ke Li is a Research Scholar of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. This research was supported by his research grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada (MT-13665) and The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation (XG 98-063).


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Material and methods
 Results
 Comment
 References
 

  1. Kedes L., Kloner R.A., Starnes V.A. Can a few cells now mend a broken heart?. J Clin Invest 1993;92:1115-1116.
  2. Li R.-K., Yau T.M., Sakai T., Mickle D.A.G., Weisel R.D. Cell therapy to repair broken hearts. Can J Cardiol 1998;14:735-744.[Medline]
  3. Soonpaa M.H., Koh G.Y., Klug M.G., Field L.J. Formation of nascent intercalated disks between grafted fetal cardiomyocytes and host myocardium. Science 1994;264:98-101.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  4. Koh G.Y., Soonpaa M.H., Klug M.G., Field L.J. Long-term survival of AT-1 cardiomyocyte grafts in syngeneic myocardium. Am J Physiol 1993;264(5 Pt 2):H1727-H1733.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  5. Li R.-K., Jia Z.-Q., Weisel R.D., et al. Cardiomyocyte transplantation improves heart function. Ann Thorac Surg 1996;62:654-661.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  6. Li R.-K., Mickle D.A.G., Weisel R.D., et al. Natural history of fetal rat cardiomyocytes transplanted into adult rat myocardial scar tissue. Circulation 1997;96(Suppl 2):179-187.
  7. Van Meter C.H., Jr, Claycomb W.C., Delcarpio J.B., et al. Myoblast transplantation in the porcine model. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1995;110:1442-1448.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  8. Koh G.Y., Klug M.G., Soonpaa M.H., Field L.J. Differentiation and long-term survival of C2C12 myoblast grafts in heart. J Clin Invest 1993;92:1548-1554.
  9. Li R.-K., Mickle D.A.G., Weisel R.D., et al. Human pediatric and adult ventricular cardiomyocytes in culture. Cardiovasc Res 1996;32:362-373.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  10. Magaud J.P., Sargent I., Clarke P.J., Ffrench M., Rimokh R., Mason D.Y. Double immunocytochemical labeling of cell and tissue samples with monoclonal anti-bromodeoxyuridine. J Histochem Cytochem 1989;37:1517-1527.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  11. Fremes S.E., Furukawa R.D., Zhang J., et al. Cardiac storage with University of Wisconsin solution and a nucleoside-transport blocker. Ann Thorac Surg 1995;59:1127-1133.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  12. Pfeffer J.M., Pfeffer M.A., Fletcher P.J., Braunwald E. Progressiveventricular remodeling in rat with myocardial infarction. Am J Physiol 1991;260(5 Pt 2):H1406-H1414.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  13. Scorsin M., Marotte F., Sabri A., et al. Can grafted cardiomyocytes colonize periinfarction myocardial areas?. Circulation 1996;94(Suppl 2):337-340.
  14. Leor J., Patterson M., Quinones M.J., Kedes L.H., Kloner R.A. Transplantation of fetal myocardial tissue into the infarcted myocardium of rat. Circulation 1996;94(Suppl 2):332-336.
  15. Scorsin M., Hagege A.A., Marotte F., et al. Does transplantation of cardiomyocytes improve function of infarcted myocardium?. Circulation 1997;96(Suppl 2):188-193.
  16. Chiu R.C.-J., Zibaitis A., Kao R.L. Cellular cardiomyoplasty. Ann Thorac Surg 1995;60:12-18.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  17. Taylor D.A., Atkins B.Z., Hungspreugs P., et al. Regenerating functional myocardium. Nature Med 1998;4:929-933.[Medline]
  18. Benardeau A., Hatem S.N., Ruecker-Martin C., et al. Primary culture of human atrial myocytes is associated with the appearance of structural and functional characteristics of immature myocardium. J Mol Cell Cardiol 1997;29:1307-1320.[Medline]
  19. Barr E., Leiden J.M. Systemic delivery of recombinant proteins by genetically modified myoblasts. Science 1991;254:1507-1509.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  20. Gojo S., Kitamura S., Hatano O., et al. Transplantation of genetically marked cardiac muscle cells. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;113:10-18.[Abstract/Free Full Text]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
J.-Y. Min, X. Huang, M. Xiang, A. Meissner, Y. Chen, Q. Ke, E. Kaplan, J. S. Rana, P. Oettgen, and J. P. Morgan
Homing of intravenously infused embryonic stem cell-derived cells to injured hearts after myocardial infarction
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., April 1, 2006; 131(4): 889 - 897.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
B.-O. Kim, H. Tian, K. Prasongsukarn, J. Wu, D. Angoulvant, S. Wnendt, A. Muhs, D. Spitkovsky, and R.-K. Li
Cell Transplantation Improves Ventricular Function After a Myocardial Infarction: A Preclinical Study of Human Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells in a Porcine Model
Circulation, August 30, 2005; 112(9_suppl): I-96 - I-104.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Heart JHome page
T. Siminiak, D. Fiszer, O. Jerzykowska, B. Grygielska, N. Rozwadowska, P. Kalmucki, and M. Kurpisz
Percutaneous trans-coronary-venous transplantation of autologous skeletal myoblasts in the treatment of post-infarction myocardial contractility impairment: the POZNAN trial
Eur. Heart J., June 2, 2005; 26(12): 1188 - 1195.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
T. Kofidis, J. L. de Bruin, T. Yamane, M. Tanaka, D. R. Lebl, R.-J. Swijnenburg, I. L. Weissman, and R. C. Robbins
Stimulation of Paracrine Pathways With Growth Factors Enhances Embryonic Stem Cell Engraftment and Host-Specific Differentiation in the Heart After Ischemic Myocardial Injury
Circulation, May 17, 2005; 111(19): 2486 - 2493.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cardiovasc ResHome page
N. Hattan, H. Kawaguchi, K. Ando, E. Kuwabara, J. Fujita, M. Murata, M. Suematsu, H. Mori, and K. Fukuda
Purified cardiomyocytes from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells produce stable intracardiac grafts in mice
Cardiovasc Res, February 1, 2005; 65(2): 334 - 344.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J CARDIOVASC PHARMACOL THERHome page
A. Schuh, S. Breuer, R. Al Dashti, N. Sulemanjee, P. Hanrath, C. Weber, B. F. Uretsky, and E. R. Schwarz
Administration of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Adjunctive to Fetal Cardiomyocyte Transplantation and Improvement of Cardiac Function in the Rat Model
Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, January 1, 2005; 10(1): 55 - 66.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Stem CellsHome page
T. Kofidis, J. L. de Bruin, T. Yamane, L. B. Balsam, D. R. Lebl, R.-J. Swijnenburg, M. Tanaka, I. L. Weissman, and R. C. Robbins
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Promotes Engraftment, Differentiation, and Functional Improvement after Transfer of Embryonic Stem Cells for Myocardial Restoration
Stem Cells, December 1, 2004; 22(7): 1239 - 1245.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
K.H. Grinnemo, A. Mansson, G. Dellgren, D. Klingberg, E. Wardell, V. Drvota, C. Tammik, J. Holgersson, O. Ringden, C. Sylven, et al.
Xenoreactivity and engraftment of human mesenchymal stem cells transplanted into infarcted rat myocardium
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., May 1, 2004; 127(5): 1293 - 1300.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
T. Fujii, T. M. Yau, R. D. Weisel, N. Ohno, D. A. G. Mickle, N. Shiono, T. Ozawa, K. Matsubayashi, and R.-K. Li
Cell transplantation to prevent heart failure: a comparison of cell types
Ann. Thorac. Surg., December 1, 2003; 76(6): 2062 - 2070.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cardiovasc ResHome page
C. Weikert, M. Eppenberger-Eberhardt, and H. M Eppenberger
Cellular engineering of ventricular adult rat cardiomyocytes
Cardiovasc Res, October 1, 2003; 59(4): 874 - 882.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
S. Rangappa, J. W. C. Entwistle, A. S. Wechsler, and J. Y. Kresh
Cardiomyocyte-mediated contact programs human mesenchymal stem cells to express cardiogenic phenotype
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., July 1, 2003; 126(1): 124 - 132.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg.Home page
G. H.L. Tang, P. W.M. Fedak, T. M. Yau, R. D. Weisel, A. Kulik, D. A.G. Mickle, and R.-K. Li
Cell transplantation to improve ventricular function in the failing heart
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., June 1, 2003; 23(6): 907 - 916.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cardiovasc ResHome page
J. D. Dowell, M. Rubart, K. B.S. Pasumarthi, M. H. Soonpaa, and L. J. Field
Myocyte and myogenic stem cell transplantation in the heart
Cardiovasc Res, May 1, 2003; 58(2): 336 - 350.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
O. O. Al-Radi, V. Rao, R.-k. Li, T. Yau, and R. D. Weisel
Cardiac cell transplantation: closer to bedside
Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 2003; 75(2): S674 - 677.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
J.-Y. Min, M. F. Sullivan, Y. Yang, J.-P. Zhang, K. L. Converso, J. P. Morgan, and Y.-F. Xiao
Significant improvement of heart function by cotransplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells and fetal cardiomyocytes in postinfarcted pigs
Ann. Thorac. Surg., November 1, 2002; 74(5): 1568 - 1575.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Circ. Res.Home page
C. Xu, S. Police, N. Rao, and M. K. Carpenter
Characterization and Enrichment of Cardiomyocytes Derived From Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Circ. Res., September 20, 2002; 91(6): 501 - 508.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
Y. Sakakibara, K. Tambara, F. Lu, T. Nishina, N. Nagaya, K. Nishimura, and M. Komeda
Cardiomyocyte transplantation does not reverse cardiac remodeling in rats with chronic myocardial infarction
Ann. Thorac. Surg., July 1, 2002; 74(1): 25 - 30.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
R. S. Kellar, L. K. Landeen, B. R. Shepherd, G. K. Naughton, A. Ratcliffe, and S. K. Williams
Scaffold-Based Three-Dimensional Human Fibroblast Culture Provides a Structural Matrix That Supports Angiogenesis in Infarcted Heart Tissue
Circulation, October 23, 2001; 104(17): 2063 - 2068.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
J. R. Fuchs, B. A. Nasseri, and J. P. Vacanti
Tissue engineering: a 21st century solution to surgical reconstruction
Ann. Thorac. Surg., August 1, 2001; 72(2): 577 - 591.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
SEMIN CARDIOTHORAC VASC ANESTHHome page
D. A. Zvara
Treatment of Perioperative Myocardial Ischemia
Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, July 1, 2001; 5(2): 166 - 183.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
R. M. El Oakley, O. C. Ooi, A. Bongso, and M. H. Yacoub
Myocyte transplantation for myocardial repair: a few good cells can mend a broken heart
Ann. Thorac. Surg., May 1, 2001; 71(5): 1724 - 1733.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
H. Yokomuro, R.-K. Li, D. A. G. Mickle, R. D. Weisel, S. Verma, and T. M. Yau
Transplantation of cryopreserved cardiomyocytes
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., January 1, 2001; 121(1): 0098 - 107.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Tetsuro Sakai
Richard D. Weisel
Shinji Tomita
Terrence M. Yau
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sakai, T.
Right arrow Articles by Yau, T. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sakai, T.
Right arrow Articles by Yau, T. M.


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS