Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2013; 61 - SC95
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1332593

Modification of experimental vein grafts by homologous transplantation of skeletal myoblasts

D Wiedemann 1, E Margreiter 2, C Steger 3, N Bonaros 4, R Oberhuber 5, ME Stelzmüller 1, M Andreas 1, G Laufer 1, A Kocher 1, T Schachner 4
  • 1Medical University of Vienna, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Vienna, Austria
  • 2Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Innsbruck, Austria
  • 3Innsbruck Medical University, Institute of Pathology, Innsbruck, Austria
  • 4Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Innsbruck, Austria
  • 5Innsbruck Medical University, Department of General Surgery, Innsbruck, Austria

Objective: A major reasons of vein graft failure after coronary artery bypass grafting is neointimal hyperplasia. Several clinical studies revealed that the patency rates of arterial conduits are better than those of venous conduits. In the current study, we aimed to improve the patency rate of experimental vein grafts by induction of graft arterialisation transplantation of homologous skeletal myoblasts.

Material and methods: For the experiments we isolated skeletal myoblasts from C57/Bl6 mice. Syngenic C57/Bl6 mice underwent interposition of the vena cava inferior from donor mice into the common carotid artery of recipient mice. We used 2 experimental groups: one control group, where we applied only the control medium without any cells on the vein grafts and a treatment group where we applied skeletal myoblast periadventially on the grafts. After 4 weeks of follow up veins were harvested, embedded in paraffin and underwent histological evaluation.

Results: 4 weeks after surgery the neointimal thickness in the control group was 56 µm (15 – 60), wherease in the treatment group we found neointimal thickness levels of 183 µm (152 – 204) p < 0.001. Apart from that we could show that cells remain on the outside of the vein wall even after 4 weeks.

Conclusion: Application of skeletal myoblast does not induce vascular regeneration after vein graft failure and does not reduce neointimal hyperplasia. Moreover application of these cells leads to a severe induction of neointimal hyperplasia in a murine vein graft model.