Dehydrated Human Amnion/Chorion Membrane Allograft Promotes Cardiac Repair Following Myocardial Infarctions

Abstract

There is a rising need for novel therapies for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (MI). Dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) contains a unique array of regenerative cytokines and growth factors, involved in the regulation of tissue healing and modulation of inflammation; therefore, the ability of dHACM to prevent cardiac damage or promote healing in an in vivo mouse model of acute myocardial infarction was investigated. Acute left ventricular MI was induced in mice by coronary artery ligation. dHACM patches were then sutured to the MI zones, or the infarcted hearts were injected with saline as a control. After eight weeks post-treatment, dHACM-treated and saline-treated hearts were histologically sectioned and stained with Masson’s trichrome to quantify infarct size or with antibodies for c-Kit for recruitment of c-Kit positive stem/progenitor cells, Ki67 for proliferation, TUNEL staining for apoptosis, and CD31 for vascular endothelial cells. Results indicated that dHACM grafts promoted cardiac repair in vivo after MI by reducing the size of fibrotic scarring. An examination of cellular activity demonstrated an increased number of c-Kit positive cells, greater cell proliferation with inhibition of apoptosis, and an increased number of CD31 positive vessels in dHACM-treated cardiac tissue. These results show that treatment with dHACM in this animal model improved cardiac repair following MI through multiple paracrine effects, including through improved blood supply and recruitment of autologous stem cells.