【Animal Modeling】-Repair effect of embryonic stem cells on ischemic damaged myocardium of pregnant rats

  Objective: To investigate whether embryonic stem cells from fetal mice can enter the pregnant mother through the blood circulation system and repair the ischemic myocardium of pregnant mice.

  Methods: Twenty-four C57 female mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=8), operation + conception group (n=8) and operation group + non-pregnancy group (n=8). The method of left anterior descending coronary artery was used to make myocardial infarction model, and the conceived group mice were crossed with e-GFP transgenic male mice after the operation. The three groups of mice were tested by electrocardiogram and echocardiography before operation, after operation and after pregnancy and childbirth to compare the changes of their cardiac function; through immunohistochemical staining, the changes in the myocardial structure of the mice in each group were observed, and the myocardium of pregnant rats Express fluorescent protein to determine whether there are embryo-derived Gfp-positive cells. At the same time, common semi-quantitative PCR amplification technology is used to detect the presence of Gfp gene in the blood DNA of pregnant mice. Results: The postoperative ECG results of the mice in the surgery + conception group and the surgery + non-pregnancy group showed that their ST segment was significantly elevated, suggesting obvious myocardial ischemia, while the postpartum ECG results of the surgery + conception group indicated that their ischemia The symptoms are lessened than before pregnancy. Ultrasound results also confirmed that the mice had obvious myocardial infarction after the operation.Although the postpartum heart cavity structure of the mice in the surgery + conception group was not significantly changed compared with that before pregnancy, the various cardiac function indicators were lower than those in the sham surgery group, but they were different from surgery + not. Compared with the conception group, the index of heart function was significantly higher (P<0.05). In addition, through immunohistochemical staining and PCR, it was found that the myocardial infarction area of the surgery + conception group had GFP positive expression, while the other two groups were GFP negative.

  Conclusion: Embryonic stem cells from fetal mice can pass through the placental barrier, migrate with the blood to the mother's pregnant mice, and repair the ischemic myocardium.