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2011
Journal Article
Titel
Regenerative Therapien für Kinderherzen
Alternative
Regenerative therapies for congenital heart disease
Abstract
Nowadays surgical treatment of congenital heart disease can be performed with excellent outcome. However, chronic postoperative cardiac overload cannot always be obviated especially with more complex anomalies. Therefore, regenerative therapeutic concepts may offer promising options for complementary management of congenital heart disease. In this study umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells and erythropoietin were employed in two different models for volume and pressure overload of the right ventricle, respectively. Enhancement of myocardial capillary density seems to be the most significant effect of the intramyocardial application of umbilical cord mononuclear cells for a significant improvement of diastolic properties of the right ventricle after 3 months chronic volume overload. Erythropoietin, which was administered via an intramyocardial and systemic route, has positive effects by enhancing capillary density, limiting fibrosis and augmenting proliferation activit y of the myocardium. In addition lower apoptosis and inflammation could be observed at the level of myocardial protein expression. Hence, the elasticity of the chronically pressure overloaded ventricle was superior with erythropoietin treatment than in the control group 3 months postoperatively. These data support the potential of regenerative therapies in the complementary therapy of congenital heart disease.