The effect of intrathymic inoculation to cardiac xenograft rejection with mesenchymal stem cells

Objective To investigate the effect of intrathymic inoculation with guinea pig's MSCs on the discordant rodent cardiac xenograft in the model of guinea pig to rat xenotransplantation. Methods Donor (twenty guniea pigs) and recipient (twenty SD rats) were randomly divided into four groups, including group A (control group), group B (IT group), group C (CVF group), group D (CVF plus IT inoculation with MSCs group).The guinea pig's grafted heart mean survival time, the optical density of mixed cell reaction and the pathology were observed. Results MST of group A was (23.20±6.14)min, group B was (24.20±9.28)min, group C was (335.40±49.23)min, and group D was (451.00±50.10)min. The difference between group A and group B was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).Group C and group D were significantly longer than that of group A and group B(P < 0.05). The difference of MST was statistically significant in group D and group C (P < 0.05).The results of MCR of group IT was (381.20±12.01). Control group was (590.20±15.38). The optical density of group IT was much lower than control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Intrathymic inoculation with MSCs of guinea pig can prolong the survival time of xenoheart by using Chinese cobra venom factor.