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Updated: May 24, 2025
LAD-Ligation: A Murine Model of Myocardial Infarction
Published on: October 14, 2009
Alginate hydrogel-encapsulated bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and crocin improve cardiac function in a
Mina Ramezani1, Nafiseh Baheiraei1, S Zahra Bathaie2
1Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences Division, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
This study developed a crocin-alginate hydrogel to improve heart function after myocardial infarction. The injectable hydrogel enhanced bone-derived mesenchymal stem cell viability and promoted cardiac regeneration in a rat model.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI), are a major global cause of death and disability.
- Effective therapeutic strategies for cardiac repair post-MI are urgently needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate an injectable alginate hydrogel (ALG) incorporating crocin (CRO) for enhanced cardiac function.
- To assess the therapeutic efficacy of the ALG/CRO hydrogel loaded with bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a rat model of MI.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of alginate hydrogels with varying crocin concentrations.
- In vitro assessment of hydrogel properties, including morphology, rheology, cytocompatibility, and cell viability.
- In vivo evaluation in a rat MI model using echocardiography, histology, and immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- The prepared ALG/CRO hydrogels demonstrated suitable porosity and rheological properties.
- Lower concentrations of crocin significantly enhanced BMSC viability in vitro.
- In vivo, the BMSC-loaded ALG/CRO hydrogel reduced scar thickness, promoted angiogenesis, and improved cardiac function recovery.
Conclusions:
- The alginate-crocin hydrogel is a promising injectable carrier for cell delivery in cardiac regeneration.
- This approach shows potential for treating myocardial infarction and improving heart function.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), particularly myocardial infarction (MI), are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and significantly contribute to morbidity. This study incorporated varying concentrations of crocin (CRO) into alginate hydrogel (ALG) to enhance cardiac function. Following synthesizing the hydrogel, it was characterized through a series of experiments, including morphological assessment, rheological analysis, cytocompatibility testing, and cellular viability evaluation. The therapeutic efficacy of the synthesized hydrogel in combination with bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), was then investigated in a rat model of MI using echocardiography, histology, and immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that the prepared hydrogels exhibited adequate porosity and favorable rheological properties. Notably, CRO at lower concentrations significantly improved the viability of BMSCs. To evaluate the therapeutic potential in vivo, the ALG/CRO hydrogel loaded with BMSCs was implanted into the MI region of the rat model. The findings demonstrate that the ALG/CRO hydrogel can significantly reduce scar thickness and promote angiogenesis, thereby improving the recovery of cardiac function. Consequently, the ALG/CRO hydrogel has the potential to serve as an injectable carrier for the delivery of cells aimed at cardiac regeneration.
