Improved diastolic function after myoblast transplantation in a model of ischemia-infarction

Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of myoblast transplantation on left ventricular function, perfusion, and scar formation after compromised coronary flow. Design. A coronary vessel with Ameroid-induced stenosis was ligated and skeletal muscle was biopsied for isolation and cultivation of myoblasts. Two weeks after ligation, animals were randomly selected to receive intramyocardial injections of 2106 myoblasts or vehicle. Fifteen animals survived the whole study period (n=9 and n=6, respectively). All animals underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography pretreatment and four weeks posttreatment. Results. Peak filling rate of the left ventricle improved in the myoblast group (p=0.0048), but not in the control group. Peak ejection rate and duration of diastole improved only in the myoblast group (p=0.049 and p=0.0039, respectively). Ejection fraction or local thickening did not change. Fibrosis and perfusion were similar in both groups, but more microvessels were present histologically in the myoblast group. Conclusions. In this preclinical study, autologous myoblast transplantation improved ischemic heart function via enhanced diastolic filling of the left ventricle.