Improved mesenchymal stem cell survival in ischemic heart through electroacupuncture.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) can promote cell survival and enhance heart function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy.

METHODS: MSCs were isolated from bone marrow and expanded in Minimum Essential Medium Alpha (α-MEM). MI was induced in 72 Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 30 min and reperfusion. MI rats randomly received injection of 1×10(6) DiI-labeled MSCs alone (n =24, MSC group), or plus electroacupuncture (EA) at Neiguan (PC6, n=24, EA+MSC group), or saline (n =24, saline group). EA treatment was performed for 4 days. Another 24 rats were subjected to chest-open surgery without LAD occlusion and treatment (sham group). Three time points, 4, 14 and 28 days (n =8 for each group) were included in this study. The survival of transplanted MSCs and the protective gene expression were analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot at day 4 and 14. Left ventricular remodeling, cardiac function, infarction area, fibrosis and capillary density were analyzed at day 28.

RESULTS: EA can enhance MSC survival (2.6-fold up) at day 4. Big capillary density was 53% higher in EA+MSC treated group than MSC alone group. Furthermore, the rats treated by EA reduced the fibrosis and had 36% smaller infarct size comparing to MSC alone. EA also attenuated left ventricular remodeling and enhanced the functional recovery of infarcted hearts at week 4.

CONCLUSION: EA at Neiguan acupoint can promote the stem cell survival and improve ischemic heart function. EA could become a useful approach in stem cell therapy for ischemia heart diseases.