Endogenous bone-marrow-derived stem cells contribute only a small proportion of regenerated myocardium in the acute

Shinya Fukuhara1, Shinji Tomita, Takeshi Nakatani

  • 1Department of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan.

Insights

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) promotes bone marrow cells (BMC) to regenerate heart tissue after infarction. However, bone marrow-derived cells contribute minimally to myocardial regeneration compared to non-bone marrow sources.

Area of Science:

  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) facilitates bone marrow cell (BMC) migration to infarcted hearts.
  • Previous studies indicated BMCs differentiate into cardiomyocytes, but their contribution to myocardial regeneration remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the proportional contribution of bone marrow (BM) and non-bone marrow (n-BM) cells to neomyocardium regeneration post-myocardial infarction.
  • To assess the role of G-CSF in mobilizing BMCs for cardiac repair.

Main Methods:

  • Irradiated mice received green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled BMCs.
  • Myocardial infarction was induced via coronary artery ligation.
  • G-CSF was administered, and heart tissues were analyzed for BM-derived cell contribution using histology and cell markers (troponin I, nestin, Ki67).

Main Results:

  • The chimeric rate of GFP-BMC was 54.6%.
  • BM-derived cells constituted a small fraction of regenerated cardiomyocytes (6.7% +/- 1.7% for troponin I-positive cells).
  • Non-bone marrow sources significantly predominated in myocardial regeneration.

Conclusions:

  • Bone marrow is a source of regenerated cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction.
  • The contribution of bone marrow-derived cells to myocardial regeneration is minor compared to non-bone marrow sources.
Abstract

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