Poly-(l-lactic acid) sheets seeded with diaphragmatic myoblasts overexpressing connexin 43 as a potential strategy for myocardial regeneration.

GIMÉNEZ CS ; OLEA FD; LOCATELLI P; BAUZÁ MR; ORLOWSKI A; AIELLO A; DE LORENZI A; CASTILLO MG; DEWEY R; MONTINI BALLARIN F; ABRAHAM FA; CUNIBERTI L; CROTTOGINI AJ

CIUDAD DE BUENOS AIRES

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias.; 2017

Sociedades de Biociencias.

Introduction. The diaphragm contracts and relaxes 20 times per minute over a lifespan. Besides, it is a source of muscle stem cells (myoblasts) capable of dividing, differentiating and self-regenerating preserving their phenotype. This makes diaphragmatic myoblasts (DM) a potential candidate for cell-based cardiac regeneration. Methods. To test this hypothesis, we seeded DM modified to overexpress connexin 43 (cx43) on poly-(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) sheets and sutured them on the infarcted zone of sheep undergoing coronary ligation (PLLA-DMcx43 group, n=6). DM were transduced with cx43 to enhance inter-cell connection. Additional sheep received PLLA sheets with non-modified DM (PLLA-DM group, n=6), PLLA without DM (PLLA group, n=6) or no treatment (Placebo, n=6). LV ejection fraction (Fey) (echocardiography) and infarct size (cardiac magnetic resonance) were measured at 2 and 45 days post-AMI. Results. Infarct size decreased by ~25% in PLLA-MDcx43 [8.7±0.6 ml (day 2) to 6.5±0.72 ml (day 45), P