Autologous endothelial progenitor cell therapy improves right ventricular function in a model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Right ventricular (RV) failure is the main prognostic factor in pulmonary hypertension, and ventricular capillary density (CD) has been reported to be a marker of RV maladaptive remodeling and failure. Our aim was to determine whether right intracoronary endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) infusion can improve RV function and CD in a piglet model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We compared 3 groups: sham (n = 5), CTEPH (n = 6), and CTEPH with EPC infusion (CTEPH+EPC; n = 5). After EPC isolation from CTEPH+EPC piglet peripheral blood samples at 3 weeks, the CTEPH and sham groups underwent right intracoronary infusion of saline, and the CTEPH+EPC group received EPCs at 6 weeks. RV function, pulmonary hemodynamics, and myocardial morphometry were investigated in the animals at 10 weeks. After EPC administration, the RV fractional area change increased from 32.75% (interquartile range [IQR], 29.5%-36.5%) to 39% (IQR, 37.25%-46.50%; P = .030). The CTEPH+EPC piglets had reduced cardiomyocyte surface areas (from 298.3 μm2 [IQR, 277.4-335.3 μm2] to 234.6 μm2 (IQR, 211.1-264.7 μm2; P = .017), and increased CD31 expression (from 3.12 [IQR, 1.27-5.09] to 7.14 [IQR, 5.56-8.41; P = .017). EPCs were found in the RV free wall at 4 and 24 hours after injection but not 4 weeks later. Intracoronary infusion of EPC improved RV function and CD in a piglet model of CTEPH. This novel cell-based therapy might represent a promising RV-targeted treatment in patients with pulmonary hypertension.