A comparison between percutaneous and surgical transplantation of autologous skeletal myoblasts in a swine model of chronic myocardial infarction

Our aim was to compare the efficacy of surgical versus percutaneous administration of skeletal myoblasts (SkM) in a swine model of chronic myocardial infarction and to determine the mechanism(s) involved in their beneficial effect. Two months after induction of myocardial infarction (MI), Goettingen miniature pigs underwent autologous SkM transplant either by direct surgical injection (n=6) or percutaneous access and intramyocardial delivery under fluoroscopic and echocardiographic guidance (n=6). Control animals received media alone (n=4). Functional analysis was performed by 2D echocardiography. Myoblast engraftment, in vivo cell differentiation, vessel formation, fibrosis, and the ratio between collagen type I/III deposition were analyzed in the infarct (IA) and non-infarct area (NIA) by immunohistochemistry. Animals received a median of 407.55+/-115x10(6) BrdU-labeled autologous SkM. Myoblast transplant was associated with a statistically significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (p