Originally published as JHC exPRESS on November 11, 2008. doi:10.1369/jhc.2008.952507
Volume 57 (2): 167-176, 2009 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Histopathological Study of Healing After Allogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cell Delivery in Myocardial Infarction in Dogs
Cardiovascular Pathology Research Department and Stem Cell Center, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas Correspondence to: Deborah Vela, MD, Cardiovascular Pathology Research Department, Texas Heart Institute, 6770 Bertner Avenue, MC 1-283, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: dvela{at}heart.thi.tmc.edu
In this histological study, we assessed the role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the healing process that takes place during the subacute phase of myocardial infarction in dogs. Seven days after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, adult mongrel dogs received 100 x 106 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-labeled allogenic bone marrow–derived MSCs by the transendocardial (TE, n=6) and intracoronary (IC, n=4) routes; control dogs (n=6) received no infusion. The dogs were euthanized at 21 days after occlusion. Hearts were excised and sliced from apex to base into four transverse sections, which were divided into nine segments. Paraffin sections from each segment were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, trichrome, picrosirius red, and antibodies against several extracellular matrix components. Frozen sections were immunostained for host cardiac phenotypical markers and analyzed by epifluorescence and deconvolution fluorescence microscopy (DFM). We found less unresolved necrotic myocardium and more extracellular matrix deposition in MSC-treated dogs than in controls 2 weeks after cell delivery. By DFM, no DAPI+ MSC nuclei were observed within native cardiac cells. MSCs delivered during the subacute phase of acute myocardial infarction positively affect healing, apparently by mechanisms other than differentiation into mature native cardiac cells. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:167–176, 2009)
Key Words: mesenchymal stem cells myocardial scar infarct healing extracellular matrix
THE WOUND HEALING PROCESS that occurs after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is important because of its implications in left ventricular remodeling (Sun and Weber 2000
Preliminary studies of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promising results for cardiac repair and have reported improved ventricular function (Barbash et al. 2003 However, the focus of preliminary studies has been on angiogenic responses, enhanced coronary blood flow, and the controversial topic of differentiation of MSCs into cardiomyoblasts. The role of MSCs in the postinfarct wound healing process and the development of myocardial scar have received less attention. Thus, in this histological study, we examine the role of MSCs in the healing process when delivered by the IC and TE routes during the subacute phase of myocardial infarction in dogs.
To study the histological characteristics and extracellular matrix deposition within the infarcts of dogs treated with allogenic MSCs, we used histological tissue samples from a previous set of experiments performed by our group (Perin et al. 2008
Model of Acute Ischemia in Dogs
MSC Isolation, Expansion, and Labeling
Tissue Acquisition and Histology
IHC
The following antibodies and dilutions were used for antigen detection in fresh frozen sections: anti–
Image Analysis
Fluorescence Microscopy
Statistical Analyses
Infarct Size, Bed at Risk, and Unresolved Infarct There were no significant differences in the size of the infarct or the bed-at-risk among the three groups (data not shown). Nevertheless, notable differences were seen in the amount of unresolved necrotic myocardium present within the infarcts. In this dog model, very large transmural infarcts were seen at 3 weeks after occlusion and reperfusion, and all dogs except three (one from each group) showed various quantities of unresolved necrotic myocardium within the healing area of the infarct. Quantification studies showed significantly less unresolved infarct per heart in the IC group than in the control group, but the difference between TE and IC groups was not significant [TE, 56.1 ± 53 mm2; IC, 32.16 ± 14 mm2; control, 125.6 ± 82 mm2; data not shown (IC vs control, p<0.05)]. In addition, the average size (area) of each individual foci of unresolved infarct was smaller in the IC group than in the control and TE groups [Figures 1A –1E; TE, 9.7 ± 17.2 mm2; IC, 3.1 ± 3.1 mm2; control, 16.7 ± 16.7 mm2 (IC vs control, p<0.01; IC vs TE, p<0.05)]. In contrast, the distance between any focus of unresolved necrotic infarct and the infarct border was noticeably smaller in the control group than in both the IC and TE MSC-treated groups [Figure 1F; control, 0.9 ± 0.3 mm; IC, 1.9 ± 1.1 mm; TE, 2.0 ± 1.2 mm (IC vs control and TE vs control, p<0.01); Figures 1A, 1B, and 1F].
Extracellular Matrix Collagen deposition within the infarct was greater in the infarct of MSC-treated dogs than in control dogs (Figures 2A –2C). Both the TE and IC groups had significantly more dense collagen content in their infarcts than did control dogs, as reflected by the quantification of picrosirius red staining. Comparison of the collagen content between TE and IC groups was not significant [Figure 2C; TE, 64.5 ± 15.3%; IC, 56.4 ± 12.4%; control, 40.2 ± 8.37% (TE vs control, p<0.01; IC vs control, p<0.05)].
Laminin, a basement membrane component of cardiomyocytes and vascular cells, was detected in greater amounts in the infarcts of MSC-treated dogs than in controls (Figures 2D and 2E). No significant difference in laminin content between the TE and IC groups was seen [TE, 35.7 ± 8.9%; IC, 38.1 ± 6.1%; control, 22.5 ± 16.1% (IC and TE vs control, p<0.01); Figure 2F]. Fibronectin was observed mostly in areas of incipient neoangiogenesis and as part of the provisional matrix (Figures 2G–2I). Significantly more fibronectin was seen in the infarcts of both the TE and IC groups than in controls; however, no significant difference was observed between the TE and IC groups [TE, 19.1 ± 5.2%; IC, 26.4 ± 3.7%; control, 41.3 ± 0.8% (TE and IC vs control, p<0.01)]. Positive immunostaining for fibrinogen was seen in necrotic myofibers within the unresolved regions of infarct centers and at the infarct border zones (Figures 2J–2L). However, comparison of the fibrinogen content among the three groups did not reach statistical significance (TE, 60.4 ± 9.7%; IC, 73.6 ± 12.5%; control, 60.5 ± 18.9%).
Identification and Characterization of Injected MSCs
Focal Response to MSC Delivery Sections displaying DAPI+ cells under fluorescence microscopy were examined under bright-field microscopy in H&E and trichrome stains and with various IHC markers (Figure 4). A mild infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells was seen only at sites in which cells had been injected at higher densities, such as sites where cells were found in clusters, in needle tracks, or at areas where the delivered cells had pooled along the tissue planes. IHC analysis showed that the infiltrating cells stained positive for the T-cell marker CD3 and for macrophages (Figures 4H and 4I, respectively). Some eosinophils were also observed in the larger clusters of injected MSCs. The injection sites also stained scarcely positive for apoptosis, and staining for the proliferation marker Ki-67 was negative (Figures 4C and 4G, respectively). Inflammation was not detected in sections that had diffuse or scattered DAPI+ cells in either the IC or TE groups.
Sites showing clusters or pooling of injected cells had minimal signs of focal or replacement fibrosis (Figure 4B) and stained strongly positive for vimentin, a feature congruent with their mesenchymal origin (Figure 4E). These same sites were negative for desmin (Figure 4D), with the exception of small vascular structures forming at the periphery of larger clusters.
Effects of MSC Administration on Infarct Healing Our study showed various features that indicate a hastened healing process in dogs that had been treated with MSCs shortly after myocardial infarction compared with control dogs. Although infarct sizes were similar among all groups, one of our most noticeable findings was the vast area of unresolved necrotic myocardium and hemorrhage seen within the infarcted areas of dogs that had not received MSCs 1 week after the ischemic event (Figures 1B and 1D). In contrast, the dogs that received MSCs had smaller foci of non-phagocytosed, necrotic myocyte remnants surrounded by collagen deposition (Figures 1A, 1C, 1E, and 2A). This finding was particularly significant in the IC group and may represent an advantage of IC delivery in regard to allowing delivered cells to reach the infarct center. A comparative study by Freyman et al. (2006)
In addition, in our study, both the TE and IC groups showed broader areas of dense collagen deposition at the infarct borders than did control dogs, and any foci of unresolved infarct was restricted to the most central parts of the infarct (Figures 1A and 1F). In contrast, control animals had necrotic myocardium extending almost to the edges of the infarct (Figure 1B). This finding is important because it suggests that MSC administration may confer the nascent scar with the necessary mechanical characteristics to prevent or ameliorate negative remodeling (Holmes et al. 2005
During the normal healing of an infarct in dogs, collagen tends to increase over time as scar maturation ensues. Laminin is initially low because of cardiomyocyte death but becomes more prominent during the second week because of angiogenesis. Fibronectin content peaks by the end of the first week and decreases progressively thereafter. Fibrinogen immunoreactivity remains high throughout the first 2–3 weeks after infarction but decreases considerably after 4 weeks (Dobaczewski et al. 2006
Focal Response to MSC Delivery
The complex interactions and mechanisms that govern the interaction of MSCs with host cells cannot be determined from our analysis; however, our histological examination showed mild to moderate macrophage and T-cell infiltration, mostly at the periphery of cell clusters and needle tracks from injection sites. Similar findings have been reported by two other groups (Poncelet et al. 2007
MSC Retention, Distribution Pattern, and Engraftment
We used detailed three-dimensional fluorescence analysis of tissue and multiple markers for mature phenotypes of cells found in mature cardiac tissue. We found no unequivocal evidence of DAPI+ nuclei inside cardiomyocytes, cardiac vascular endothelium, or smooth muscle cells. Our findings showed that DAPI+ nuclei that appeared to be inside native cardiac cells when viewed by standard fluorescence microscopy were really "pseudonuclei" when examined by deconvoluted fluorescence microscopy. Other researchers have reported similar findings (Taylor et al. 2002
Several studies have suggested that MSCs were capable of migrating through tissues (Barbash et al. 2003
MSCs have been reported to incorporate into newly formed vessels and to most likely differentiate into vascular endothelium and smooth muscle (Tomita et al. 2002
Study Limitations In conclusion, our results suggest that MSCs may improve outcome by mechanisms other than differentiation into native cardiac cells. Delivery of MSCs to the infarct border 1 week after AMI may help fortify the nascent infarct scar by hastening healing and modulating deposition of extracellular matrix components. In doing so, MSCs may prevent the undesirable effects of negative remodeling of the ventricle wall. However, long-term follow-up is necessary to ensure that favorable healing and effective remodeling are maintained.
This work was funded by Ronald MacDonald Research Fund Grant 06RDM011.
Received for publication August 8, 2008; accepted October 21, 2008
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