Complementary Embryonic and Adult Cell Populations Enhance Myocardial Repair in Rat Myocardial Injury Model

Figure 3

Combination of Isl-1⁺ cells/CD90⁺ cells preserves wall thickness. (a) Masson’s trichrome staining was used to stain the fibrotic tissue in blue. Representative bright field microscopy images of 4-week post-MI rat hearts are shown. Fibrosis is limited to the anterior wall of the left ventricle. (b) Quantification of fibrosis revealed that none of the cell treatments was able to significantly reduce fibrosis (saline: vs. Isl-1⁺: , ; saline vs. CD90⁺: , ; saline vs. Isl-1⁺/CD90⁺: , ). The combination of Isl-1⁺cells and CD90⁺ cell treatment was sufficient to maintain wall thickness (sham: vs. saline: , ; sham vs. Isl-1⁺: , ; sham vs. CD90⁺: , ; sham vs. Isl-1⁺/CD90⁺: , ) (c).

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