Stem Cells Homing And Vascular Differentiation In Lung, Heart And Skeletal Muscle In An Experimental Model Of Heart Failure

Purpose Aim of our study was to investigate the homing and differentiation of human amniotic stem cell (hAFC) and rat vascular stromal adipocite GFP positive cells (rGFP) in a rat model of heart failure. Methods and Materials Male Sprague‐Dowley rats were injected with monocrotaline to develop right heart failure. hAFC or rat GFP cells were injected via tail vein three weeks after MCT injection. Stem cells differentiation were studied by double immunofluorescence technique. Results Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), was elevated in HF compared to controls (2.01±0.12 HF rats;0.56±0.37 ng/ml controls, p< 0.0001),while was similar to controls in HF animals injected with stem cells (0.75±0.06 ng/ml,p<0.001). HF stem cells animals showed a RVM/Vol value lower than HF and similar to controls (0.34±0.02 treated animals;0.49±0.29 in controls, p<0.001). Both rGFP and hAFC were detected in the lung (1.01±0.6% hAFC and 0.44±0.4% rGFP) and few of them (0.11±0.1% of hAFC) were differentiated into vascular cells. In the heart stem cells were 0.36±0.3% for hAFC and 0.55±0.2 for rGFP positive cells and hAFC showed a 0.01±0.01 % and rGFP 0.16±0.1% of SMA differentiation. In skeletal muscle stem cells were hAFC 0,31±0,09% and rGFP 0,36±0,2%. Conclusions These results suggest that hAFC and rGFP cells are both engrafted with a topographical recruitment gradient in the lung, heart and skeletal muscle and seems to reduce heart remodelling and failure.