Figure 1

Improved initial retention and survival of MSCs transplanted using FG-aided, instant epicardial placement. (a) Four weeks after coronary artery ligation, female rats were transplanted with male MSCs using FG-aided, instant epicardial placement (FG-MSC group) or intramyocardial injection (IM-MSC group). Quantitative PCR for the male specific Sry gene detected increased retention of donor cells (shown as % of the total cell number transplanted) in the FG-MSC group compared to the IM-MSC group. ^† p < 0.05 vs. the corresponding time point value of the IM-MSC group, n = 5 or 6 in each point. (b) % loss of retained MSCs between day 3 and 7 (left panel) and between day 7 and 28 (right panel) were calculated from the data shown in Fig. 1a. (c) Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that transplanted MSCs (CM-DiI-labeled) in the FG-MSC group persistently retained at the surface of the heart. Representative images from 5 or 6 hearts at each time point are presented. Scale bars = 1 mm. cTnT, cardiac troponin T. (d) High-magnification observations of the FG-MSC complex demonstrated gradual elimination of FG, which was detectable with the green auto-fluorescence between CM-DiI-labeled (orange) MSCs, over time. Scale bars = 50 µm. (e) Immunofluorescence showed that donor cells (CM-DiI-labeled; orange) in the IM group formed cell-clusters within the myocardium, which decreased in size over time. Scale bars = 1 mm.