Mesenchymal stem cells modified with angiopoietin-1 improve remodeling in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction

We used human angiopoietin-1 (hAng1)-modified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats. The hAng1 gene was transfected into cultured rat MSCs using an adenoviral vector. Five million hAng-transfected MSCs (MSC Ang1) or green fluorescent protein transfected MSCs (MSC GFP) or PBS only (PBS group) were injected intramyocardially into the inbred Lewis rat hearts immediately after myocardial infarction. MSC Ang1 survived in the infarcted myocardium, and expressed hAng1 at both mRNA and protein levels. The vascular density was higher in the MSC Ang1 and MSC GFP groups than in the PBS group. The measurements of infarcted ventricular wall thickness, infarction area, and left ventricular diameter indicated that heart remodeling was inhibited and heart function was improved in both the MSC Ang1 and MSC GFP groups. However, in contrast to the MSC GFP group, the MSC Ang1 group showed enhanced angiogenesis and arteriogenesis (by 11–35%), infarction area was reduced by 30% and the left ventricular wall was 46% thicker ( P < 0.05). The results indicated that hAng1-modified MSCs improved heart function, followed by angiogenic effects in salvaging ischemic myocardium and reduced cardiac remodeling.