Figure 1

Intramyocardial delivery of UCX® preserved cardiac function and attenuated cardiac remodeling after MI. (A, B) Transthoracic echocardiography, at 2 weeks after transplantation, demonstrated a significant reduction in diastolic LVID and a more subtle reduction in systolic LVID in the UCX® transplanted group (n = 5) when compared with vehicle-injected animals (n = 10). (C, D) EF and FS of UCX®-transplanted hearts was preserved from 1 to 2 weeks after injury, contrarily to the progressive decrease of the systolic function observed in the vehicle-injected group. (E) Masson Trichrome stain on histologic sections representative of the LV highlight the collagen deposition (blue) on the infarcted region. Thinning of the LV wall and LV dilatation was observed in the UCX® (n = 5), as well as in the vehicle (n = 10) experimental groups. (F) MI size was quantified by two different methods: the area measurement and the midline length measurement, and no significant differences were identified between groups. When compared with the vehicle control group the UCX®-transplanted group showed a smaller reduction of the LV wall thickness (G) and a less-pronounced LV dilation (H), indicative of UCX®-mediated tapering of cardiac remodeling after MI. LVIDd, left ventricular internal diameter at diastole; LVIDs, left ventricular internal diameter at systole; EF, ejection fraction; FS, fractional shortening; n (nonmanipulated) = 10. *P < 0.05; scale bar = 2 mm.