Background: Recent progress in the cardiotypic differentiation of embryonic and somatic stem cells opens novel prospects for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. The aim of the present study was to develop a novel surgical approach that allows standardized cellular cardiomyoplasty in mouse with low-perioperative mortality.
Methods: Reproducible transmural lesions were generated by cryoinjury followed by intramural injection of embryonic cardiomyocytes using a newly designed holding device and vital dye staining. This approach was validated with a transgenic mouse model, in which the live reporter gene-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is under control of a cardiac-specific promoter.
Results: The perioperative mortality was 10%. The engrafted EGFP-positive cardiomyocytes could be identified in a high percentage (72.2%, n=36) of operated animals.
Conclusions: This novel approach enables reliable cellular replacement therapy in mouse and greatly facilitates the analysis of its molecular, cellular, and functional efficacy.