Higher Improvement of Cardiac Function Following Myocardial Infarction using Menstrual Blood Stromal/Stem Cells (MenSCs) Suspended in Conditioned Medium versus Conditioned Medium Alone in Rat Model

To evaluate the efficiency of Menstrual blood Stromal/Stem Cells (MenSCs) administration in Myocardial Infarction (MI), the effects of MenSCs and their derived conditioned Medium (CM) on cardiac function in MI rat model was assessed.

Animals were divided into four groups including sham group, MI group, MenSCs derived CM group (CM group), and MenSCs suspended in CM (MenSCs+ CM) group. The injection of different groups was carried out 30 min after ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery into the infarct border zone.

The results showed a significant reduction in scar size after injection of MenSCs+CM compared to MI group. Ejection fraction and fractional shortening of MenSCs+CM group were higher than CM and MI group at day 28. Administration of MenSCs+CM led to much more survival of cardiomyocytes, and prevention of metaplastic development. Moreover, human mitochondrial transfer from MenSCs to cardiomyocytes was seen in group treated by MenSCs+CM. Indeed, MenSCs+CM treatment evoked nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) down-regulation more than other treatments.

MenSCs+CM treatment could significantly ameliorate cardiac function by different mechanisms including inhibition of cartilaginous metaplasia, inhibition of NF- κB and mitochondrial transfer.