自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗糖尿病性下肢缺血83例

背景：自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗糖尿病周围血管病变是目前广泛开展的一项技术,对缺血性病变有较好的效果,有个案报道对周围神经损伤所致临床症状有改善作用。 目的：观察自体骨髓单个核细胞移植前后糖尿病足病患者缺血性及神经性病变指标的变化。 方法：行自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗的糖尿病足病患者83例153条肢体。每例患者抽取自体骨髓250~400 mL,经密度梯度法提取单个核细胞,提取的单个核细胞数量为1.01×10⁸~4.96×10⁹个,平均数量为(2.04±0.53)×10⁸个,稀释后双下肢肌肉内注射,每点1~3 mL,间隔约3 cm。移植后3,6个月进行缺血性指标和神经病变指标检测。 结果与结论：自体骨髓单个核细胞移植后增加了双下肢血流量和外周血管数量,延长了行走距离,提高了皮温,促进了溃疡的愈合。治疗3个月及6个月后均有明显效果,差异有显著性意义。治疗6个月后,还可以改善糖尿病周围神经的自觉症状,增加运动及感觉神经传导速度,差异有显著性意义。     

自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗糖尿病下肢周围神经病变

背景：有研究表明移植骨髓单个核细胞治疗糖尿病下肢神经病变动物模型,通过在组织内能促进血管再生和增加血管生成因子及神经营养因子能改善临床症状。                             目的：观察自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗糖尿病下肢周围神经病变的临床效果。 方法：30例糖尿病下肢闭塞症患者60条下肢,按治疗方式的不同分为2组：自体骨髓单个核细胞移植的治疗组和对侧下肢非自体骨髓单个核细胞移植的对照组,各30条下肢。 结果与结论：移植4周后,治疗组总有效率高于对照组(P < 0.05)。两组治疗后神经病变自主症状问卷神经病变主觉症状问卷评分均较治疗前明显降低,治疗组评分降低更明显(P < 0.01),治疗组胫神经和腓总神经感觉和运动神经传导速度均较对照组快(P < 0.01),患者未出现并发症和不良反应。说明自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗糖尿病下肢周围神经病变的临床效果较好。     

骨髓单个核细胞移植后心肌梗死区的血管生成及细胞因子分泌

背景：干细胞移植为治疗心肌梗死带来新的希望,但研究结果不一致,存在争议。细胞移植能否长期持久地改善心脏功能、改善缺血心功能的机制这些问题均不明确。 目的：观察经冠状动脉自体骨髓单个核细胞移植对急性心肌梗死犬心功能、血管生成和细胞因子分泌的影响。 方法：杂种犬分为骨髓单个核细胞组(n=10)和生理盐水组(n=6),前上嵴或髂后上棘穿刺分离得到骨髓单个核细胞,结扎冠状动脉前降支建立急性心肌梗死模型,于心肌梗死后2 h分别经冠状动脉内移植骨髓单个核细胞和生理盐水,心肌梗死后2 h及6周时分别测定超声心动图指标,骨髓单个核细胞移植后6周vWF免疫组化染色检测心肌组织的毛细血管密度,RT-PCR检测血管内皮生长因子(血管内皮生长因子188、血管内皮生长因子164)、碱性成纤维细胞生长因子、基质金属蛋白酶9 mRNA的表达。 结果与结论：经冠状动脉自体骨髓单个核细胞移植后6周,超声心动图显示,骨髓单个核细胞组射血分数和每搏输出量比生理盐水组显著升高;梗死边缘区新生血管数量明显高于生理盐水组。骨髓单个核细胞组梗死区血管内皮生长因子188、血管内皮生长因子164和碱性成纤维细胞生长因子mRNA表达水平显著高于生理盐水组。骨髓单个核细胞组梗死区基质金属蛋白酶9 mRNA 表达水平显著低于生理盐水组。结果说明自体骨髓单个核细胞经冠状动脉内注射移植,改善急性心肌梗死后心功能,促进梗死边缘区血管生成,提高促血管生长因子血管内皮生长因子188、血管内皮生长因子164和碱性成纤维细胞生长因子的mRNA表达水平,减少基质金属蛋白酶9 mRNA表达水平。     

单侧、双侧髂骨取血及取血量与骨髓单个核细胞浓度与早期股骨头坏死 治疗效果的关系

背景：以单侧、双侧髂骨取血及取血量是否会影响骨髓单个核核细胞的浓度呢？ 目的：观察自体骨髓单个核细胞浓度差异对移植治疗早期股骨头坏死的疗效影响。 方法：回顾性分析髓心减压加自体单个核细胞移植股骨头坏死患者120例/168髋临床资料,其中单侧髂骨取血200 mL,27例/39髋,单侧髂骨取血300 mL,29例/40髋;双侧髂骨取血200 mL,30例/42髋,双侧髂骨取血300 mL,34例/47髋。髂骨取血后在细胞分离机将骨髓血梯度离心,细胞分离前后行单个核细胞计数,髓芯减压后移植注入骨坏死区。随访12~36个月,观察治疗前后患者CT影像学及髋关节Harris评分改变。 结果与结论：单侧及双侧髂骨取血 200 mL分离后所得单个核细胞计数与取血300 mL比较,差异均无显著性意义(P > 0.05),但双侧明显高于单侧(P < 0.01)。各组髋关节功能Harris评分,移植前比较差异无显著性意义(P > 0.05),移植后Harris评分及优良率显著提高(P < 0.05, P < 0.01)。与单侧髂骨取血组比较,双侧髂骨取血移植后髋关节功能Harris评分提高,差异有显著性意义(P < 0.01)。说明髓芯减压加自体骨髓单个核细胞移植是治疗早期股骨头缺血性坏死安全有效的方法之一;双侧髂骨取血所分离单个核细胞浓度明显侧高于单侧,且短期随访临床疗效较好。     

脐血单个核细胞移植治疗冠状动脉性心脏病合并心力衰竭的安全性

背景：多项实验和临床研究表明,干细胞移植可能取代坏死心肌、建立新生血管、改善心脏功能,明显改善心血管疾病患者临床症状和预后。 目的：观察新生儿脐血单个核细胞移植治疗冠状动脉性心脏病合并心力衰竭患者的安全性。 方法：共入选冠状动脉性心脏病合并心力衰竭患者(急性心肌梗死合并心力衰竭6例,陈旧心肌梗死合并心力衰竭6例)12例,入院后在常规药物与介入治疗基础上,经皮经腔导管建立冠状动脉通道,利用微导管移植分离的新生儿脐血单个核细胞悬液。细胞移植后1周进行常规抽血检查,与移植前对比血常规、肝肾功能、免疫指标的变化。 结果与结论：脐血单个核细胞移植后有1例发热,不良反应发生率为8.3%,无微栓塞发生,随访1周无移植物抗宿主病发生。与细胞移植治疗前比较,治疗后1周血常规、肝功能、肾功能、C-反应蛋白、IgA、IgG等指标差异无显著性意义。说明新生儿脐血单个核细胞移植治疗冠状动脉性心脏病死合并心功能衰竭在短期是安全的。中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程全文链接：     

心肌及冠状动脉内移植骨髓单个核细胞对猪缺血心肌侧支血管的生成

背景：目前有研究表明,心肌内直接注射骨髓单个核细胞可以使心肌梗死瘢痕区血管新生,改善缺血心肌血供。 目的：观察心肌内及冠状动脉内移植自体骨髓单个核细胞对猪急性心肌梗死后缺血心肌侧支血管生成的作用。 方法：22只小型猪制备急性心肌梗死模型后分为4组：心肌内移植组造模后即刻在缺血心肌内注射自体骨髓单个核细胞悬液;心肌内对照组同样方法即刻心肌内注射Hank’s平衡盐溶液;冠状动脉内移植组在造模后1周,左冠状动脉内注射自体骨髓单个核细胞悬液;冠状动脉对照组在造模后1周,同样方法左冠状动脉内注射Hank’s平衡盐溶液。 结果与结论：心肌内及冠状动脉内移植骨髓单个核细胞后1周,血清碱性成纤维细胞生长因子及血管内皮细胞生长因子水平差异无显著性意义,但明显高于各自对照组(P < 0.01);移植后4周,心肌内移植组与冠状动脉内移植组小血管密度差异无显著性意义,但明显高于各自对照组(P < 0.01);左室舒张末压差异无显著性意义,但明显低于各组对照组(P < 0.01)。提示心肌内及冠状动脉内移植骨髓单个核细胞均有助于促进猪缺血心肌血管新生及侧支循环形成。     

自体骨髓单个核细胞移植治疗大鼠后肢缺血

目的　探讨自体骨髓单个核细胞（BM-MNC）移植用于大鼠缺血后肢的治疗后实现血管再生的能力。方法　建立大鼠后肢缺血动物模型,将取于自体的BM-MNC制成细胞悬液注射于缺血部位,分别在移植后2和30d时行动脉造影,用免疫组化方法检测内皮祖细胞（EPC）,毛细血管密度以及测定血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)的表达。结果　缺血肌组织中的EPC含量增高（P<0.01）。BM-MNC移植组在移植早期VEGF表达显著增高（P<0.01）。细胞移植后30dBM-MNC移植组毛细血管密度明显高于其他组（P<0.01）,血管造影可见侧支循环建立。结论　自体骨髓单个核细胞移植于大鼠后肢缺血区能促进血管新生,改善侧支循环,可望成为一种简单有效的治疗下肢缺血的方法。     

羟乙基淀粉一步与两步法分离骨髓单个核细胞及血小板的比较

背景:羟乙基淀粉和淋巴细胞分离液两步法分离骨髓有核细胞,可以提高单个核细胞的浓缩效率,但对血小板残留量的研究未见报道。目的:明确羟乙基淀粉两种分离方法浓缩骨髓单个核细胞的效率和残留血小板的量。方法:骨髓来自在新疆医科大学第一附属医院行成体自体骨髓有核细胞移植治疗相关疾病分离骨髓的检测标本。采用羟乙基淀粉自然沉降和羟乙基淀粉沉降后再用淋巴细胞分离液分离骨髓细胞。观察两种方法分离骨髓细胞后有核细胞、单个核细胞、血小板数。结果与结论:羟乙基淀粉两步法分离骨髓后有核细胞悬液中单个核细胞均值为89%,一步法为45%。两步法浓缩单个核细胞的百分率高于一步法(P0.05);残留血小板数(中位数:73.00)低于一步法(中位数:367.50)(P0.05)。结果表明,羟乙基淀粉和淋巴细胞分离液两步法分离骨髓细胞中单个核细胞和血小板的效果优于一步法。     

不同途径移植骨髓单个核细胞修复创伤性脑损伤

背景：干细胞移植存在多种途径,目前还无法确定哪一种是最佳途径。而对于不同的脑损伤个体,所移植的细胞种类、移植途径和移植时间都将会影响到治疗效果。目的：探讨不同途径移植骨髓单个核细胞对脑损伤大鼠神经功能的影响。方法：Ficoll淋巴细胞分离液梯度离心分离大鼠骨髓单个核细胞,CFDA-SE体外标记后备用;自由落体法制备大鼠创伤性脑损伤模型,模型制作成功后,立即通过损伤区、侧脑室和颈内动脉移植CFDA-SE标记的骨髓单个核细胞,每一种移植途径都设对照组(以等体积的DMEM代替骨髓单个核细胞)。治疗后不同时间点进行mNSS评分,最后一次行为学评分完毕取脑组织,荧光倒置显微镜下观察骨髓单个核细胞在损伤区域的存活和迁移情况。结果与结论：治疗后7,10,14 d,对照组和移植组mNSS评分均较1 d和3 d时降低(P < 0.05);治疗后7 d和10 d,颈内动脉移植组和对照组相比mNSS评分降低(P < 0.05);治疗后14 d,颈内动脉移植组荧光细胞数量较其他组多(P < 0.05),且分布广。结果表明经颈内动脉移植骨髓单个核细胞能明显改善大鼠神经功能,且移植细胞能够在损伤区大量存活和迁移。 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程     

围术期心血管危险因素对骨髓祖细胞的影响

背景：移植自体骨髓干细胞治疗缺血性心脏病已进行了10余年的临床试验,但试验结果在不同的患者中存在差异。因此,有必要鉴定哪些心血管病患者的危险因素影响骨髓干细胞的水平和功能。目的：观察冠心病患者围术期危险因素对骨髓祖细胞数量及功能的影响。方法：选择44例拟行冠状动脉旁路移植的冠心病患者,采集实验室和临床资料;术中经胸骨穿刺采集骨髓,应用Ficoll淋巴细胞分离液密度梯度离心法分离骨髓单个核细胞,计数并应用锥虫蓝拒染法检测其活性;应用流式细胞仪分析检测CD34⁺、CD133⁺和CD34⁺CD133⁺细胞的水平;应用集落形成试验和细胞迁移试验评价骨髓祖细胞功能。结果与结论：术中经胸骨抽取20 mL骨髓可获得(10-89)×10⁶个骨髓单个核细胞,活性在95%以上,等量的骨髓血获得的骨髓单个核细胞的量与患者年龄之间存在明显负相关关系(n=44,r=-0.788,P=0.001);流式细胞仪检测CD34⁺细胞占(0.94±0.39)%,CD133⁺细胞占(0.46±0.28)%,CD34⁺CD133⁺细胞占(0.53±0.26)%;糖尿病患者骨髓CD34⁺和CD133⁺细胞水平明显低于非糖尿病患者;高龄、女性和心功能较差与骨髓祖细胞集落形成能力降低有关;CD34⁺细胞水平与骨髓单个核细胞的迁移能力存在明显的正相关。结果表明经胸骨应用密度梯度离心法可获得足够数量的骨髓单个核细胞作为缺血性心脏病治疗的供体细胞,年龄、性别、糖尿病、心功能与骨髓单个核细胞数量和功能有关。中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程全文链接：     

Congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease without myocardial infarction: clinicopathologic description of an unusual cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathies (CMs) can be classified as idiopathic dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive/obliterative, and so-called "ischemic cardiomyopathy." We have observed a subgroup of patients with congestive heart failure, dilated hearts, and severe coronary artery disease in the absence of myocardial infarction and therefore not fulfilling the criteria for ischemic CM. To better elucidate this group, which we called "coronary" CM, 54 consecutive necropsy patients who had congestive heart failure were retrospectively studied. Nineteen patients had idiopathic dilated CM, 26 had ischemic CM, and nine had coronary CM. The mean age of the patients with coronary CM and ischemic CM was significantly greater than that of the patients with idiopathic dilated CM (62 +/- 10 and 64 +/- 10 years versus 47 +/- 19 years, respectively). The duration of congestive heart failure was longest in the coronary CM group (4.1 +/- 3.4 years); half of these patients died suddenly or from arrhythmias. Hearts from patients with coronary CM had marked biventricular dilatation and severe coronary artery disease (mean number of coronary arteries with more than 75% narrowing, 2.2). No acute or healed infarcts were grossly visible, but interstitial and focal perivascular fibrosis were present in the myocardium of all coronary CM hearts. Although coronary CM may comprise a subset of so-called "ischemic cardiomyopathy," these cases may also represent idiopathic dilated CM with coincidental coronary artery disease.     

干细胞移植对慢性心功能不全兔心室肌细胞膜Na+-K+泵和肌浆网Ca2+泵活性的影响

研究经冠状动脉灌注移植自体骨髓单个核细胞（BMCs）、间充质干细胞（MSCs）和骨骼肌成肌细胞（SMs）对CHF兔CMNKA和SERCA的影响，探讨干细胞移植治疗CHF的确切机制。使用阿雩素制作兔CHF模型，经双球囊封堵主动脉根部后分别灌注BMCs、MSCs、SMs和无血清DMEM液。4周后处死动物，比较干细胞移植后CMNKA和SERCA活性变化。与对照组相比，假手术组CMNKA和SERCA活性降低（P〈0．05）。不同类型的干细胞移植后心室肌CMNKA活性均明显改善（P分别小于0．05、0．01和0．01）。干细胞移植各组SERCA有改善的趋势，但与假手术组相比，差异无统计学意义（P均大于0．05）。说明干细胞移植能够改善衰竭心室肌细胞膜Na^＋-K^＋ATP酶和肌浆网Ca^2＋ATP酶的异常，这可能是其治疗心力衰竭的重要机制之一。     

干细胞移植治疗缺血性心脏病：临床应用的可行性与安全性

背景：干细胞移植到受损的心脏组织,可以大量分化为心肌细胞,这项研究为缺血性心脏病治疗带来新的希望。 目的：探讨干细胞移植治疗缺血性心脏病的可行性与安全性。 方法：分析干细胞移植治疗缺血性心脏病安全性和可行性的多种试验方法。REPAIR-AMI试验是一项分析急性心肌梗死后即刻冠脉内移植骨髓祖细胞治疗效果的随机双盲、安慰剂对照的多中心研究;MAGIC Cell-3-DES试验是评价粒细胞集落刺激因子动员的干细胞疗法的安全性和冠脉内注射动员的外周血干细胞对急性心肌梗死和陈旧性心肌梗死的效果;BOOST试验是心肌梗死后经冠脉移植自体骨髓细胞的随机对照研究。PROTECT-CAD试验是一项随机、对照的直接将干细胞注入心肌治疗慢性缺血性心肌病的临床试验。 结果与结论：干细胞移植可以改善左心室的收缩功能和舒张功能以及冠脉血流储备,相关研究也得到验证。对于干细胞移植治疗缺血性心脏病,可以增加左室射血分数,临床事件较少,在药物洗脱支架治疗的基础上,干细胞治疗并不增加再狭窄风险。干细胞移植治疗缺血性心脏病安全可行,未来还需要进行大样本、长时间的大规模多中心的随机对照研究,来进一步评价其疗效和风险。     

骨髓单个核细胞移植对肾缺血再灌注后肾小管坏死及细胞凋亡的影响

目的：观察和分析外源性骨髓单个核细胞（BMMNCs）对肾缺血再灌注诱发的肾小管坏死及凋亡的影响。方法：密度梯度离心法分离获取BMMNCs并行DAPI标记。制作SD大鼠肾缺血再灌注损伤模型，通过下腔静脉进行BMMNCs移植。分别于缺血再灌注后不同时相获取肾脏标本，荧光显微镜下观察DAPI的标记情况，HE染色做肾组织学检测，TUNEL法检测肾组织凋亡细胞，免疫组织化学染色观察增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）的表达。结果：BMMNCs移植组大鼠肾脏组织中可见DAPI荧光细胞，部分存在于肾小管上皮组织中，未见明显细胞坏死及变性征象，其凋亡细胞计数显著减少，而PCNA阳性细胞数增多。结论：外源性BMMNCs移植可减少缺血再灌注诱发的肾小管上皮细胞的变性、坏死和凋亡，促进缺血再灌注损伤后肾小管上皮细胞的增殖，从而提示BMMNCs移植有助于缺血再灌注损伤后肾小管的修复及其结构完整性的维持。     

Chimerism of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in chronic myeloid leukemia. An autopsy study

The results of a number of animal experimental studies are in keeping with the finding that hematopoietic progenitors can generate cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. As a consequence innovative therapeutic strategies have been suggested to possibly ameliorate the outcome of coronary artery disease. However, there is no information available at present whether this pathomechanism is also effective in humans, in particular without prior ischemic lesion of the myocardium. Therefore an autopsy study was performed on cadaver hearts derived from five male patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who received full unmanipulated bone marrow grafts from female donors 21-631 days before death. The purpose of this investigation was to detect and quantify a putative chimerism of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells (intramural and subepicardial vessels). Genotyping was carried out by applying X- or Y-chromosome-specific DNA probes (fluorescence in-situ hybridisation) on routinely formalin-fixed specimens of the myocardium. To test the sensitivity of our method, cadaver hearts from two males and two females without a history of transplantation served as controls. In contrast to a totally corresponding sex-matched genotyping in 780 cardiomyocytes and 155 endothelial cells of the control group, the five male patients with a previous transplantation revealed significantly different results. A mixed chimerism was identifiable in 57 out of 890 counted cardiomyocytes (6.4%) and in 19 out of 322 endothelial cells (5.8%). These findings support the assumption that in addition to endothelial cells there is also a cardiomyogenic potential of bone marrow stem cells which exists without prior (ischemic) damage to the heart. However, further investigations are necessary to identify, isolate and enrich the cardiomyocytic stem cells more specifically for future curative therapeutic options in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy.     

Differential expression profile of Th1/Th17/Th2-related chemokines and their receptors in patients with acquired bone marrow failure syndromes

Th1/Th17/Th2-related chemokines (CXCL10/CCL20/CCL2) and their receptors (CXCR3/CCR6/CCR2) have rarely been studied in acquired bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFs). We evaluated the concentrations of CXCL10, CCL20 and CCL2 in plasma and BM fluid from aplastic anemia (AA), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to determine mRNA expressions of those chemokines and their receptors. CCL20 levels in both plasma and BM fluid from AA, PNH and MDS patients were significantly higher than those in the corresponding samples from healthy controls; there were no differences in terms of CXCL10 and CCL2 levels. Significantly higher expressions of CXCR3 and CCL20 mRNA, meanwhile significantly lower expression of CCR2 mRNA in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) and bone marrow MNCs (BMMNCs) from AA and PNH patients were observed, with no differences in terms of CXCL10, CCL2 and CCR6 mRNA expressions. CCR6 mRNA expressions in both PBMNCs and BMMNCs from MDS patients were significantly higher than of the corresponding samples from controls. Our study implicated that CXCL10–CXCR3, CCL20–CCR6 and CCL2–CCR2 interaction might play important roles in Th1 and Th17 (but not for Th2) cells trafficking toward BM in acquired bone marrow failure syndromes.     

静脉移植骨髓间充质干细胞对心肌病心力衰竭心功能的影响

BACKGROUND:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can effectively improve decreased cardiac function caused by heart failure, but there is a lack of research about the effect in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on cardiac function in heart failure induced by cardiomyopathies. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on cardiac function in patients with cardiomyopathies accompanied by heart failure. METHODS:Totally 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from 10 rats, and the remaining rats were equivalently randomized into normal, model and stem cell transplantation groups. Then rats in the model and stem cell transplantation groups were given intraperitoneal injection of hydrochloric acid doxorubicin to prepare cardiomyopathy-induced heart failure models. At 7 days after modeling, the stem cell transplantation group was treated with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through intravenous transplantation, and the model group was treated with equal amount of DMEM medium. Four weeks later, cardiac function of each rat was detected, and the cell survival and differentiation were observed by immunofluorescence method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 4 weeks after transplantation, compared with normal and stem cell transplantation groups, the left ventricular systolic pressure and maximum rise/fall rate of left ventricular pressure were significantly decreased, but the left ventricular end diastolic pressure significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.05). And there was no significant difference between the normal group and the stem cell transplantation group (P > 0.05). High and dense fluorescence intensity was observed in the host myocardium immediately after transplantation. Subsequently, the fluorescence intensity and density decreased at 4 weeks, but the cell migration could be found, and some cells expressed cardiac troponin T. These results show that intravenous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can improve cardiac function in rats with heart failure due to cardiomyopathies. Besides, the transplanted cells can survive in the host, and differentiate into cardiomyocyte-like cells.