【Animal modeling】-Repair effect of embryonic stem cells on ischemia-damaged myocardium in pregnant mice

  Objective: To investigate whether fetal rat embryonic stem cells can enter the pregnant mother through the blood circulatory system, and repair the ischemic myocardial tissue of the pregnant rat.

  Methods: Twenty-four 6-8-week-old C57 female mice were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=8), operation+pregnancy group (n=8) and operation group+non-pregnancy group (n=8). The myocardial infarction model was established by the method of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and the mice in the pregnant group after surgery were crossed with e-GFP transgenic male mice. The three groups of mice were detected by electrocardiogram and echocardiography before operation, after operation, and after pregnancy and childbirth to compare the changes in cardiac function. Fluorescent proteins were expressed to determine the presence of embryonic-derived Gfp-positive cells. At the same time, the existence of Gfp gene in the blood DNA of pregnant mice was detected by ordinary semi-quantitative PCR amplification technology.

  Results: The postoperative ECG results of the mice in the operation + conception group and the operation + non-pregnancy group showed that the ST segment was significantly elevated, indicating obvious myocardial ischemia. Symptoms are less than before pregnancy. Ultrasound results also confirmed that the mice showed obvious myocardial infarction after the operation. Although the postpartum cardiac cavity structure of the mice in the operation + conception group did not change significantly compared with those before pregnancy, the cardiac function indicators were lower than those in the sham operation group, but they were different from those in the operation + non-operation group. Compared with the pregnant group, the cardiac function indexes were significantly increased (P<0.05). In addition, by immunohistochemical staining and PCR detection, 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: Fetal mouse embryonic stem cells can pass through the placental barrier, migrate into the maternal and pregnant mice along with the blood, and repair the ischemia-damaged myocardium.