Abstract : Stem cell therapy is gaining attention in the repair of damaged myocardium. The current study was planned to see the therapeutic effects of stem cells derived from amniotic fluid (AFSCs) on global myocardial ischemia (MI) induced by injecting Isoproterenol in rats to see physiological, biochemical, and functional changes as well as histopathological changes in heart tissue. Functional changes in heart were recorded by small animal ECHO -Ultrasound. Stem cells from the amniotic fluid through amniocentesis, were isolated, cultured and cells were harvested for experimental design. One week after induction of Myocardial Infarction, 2x106 AFSCs or normal saline was given intravenously through the tail vein of MI rats. After 4 weeks of hAFSCs administration in the MI group, rats showed weight gain, and enhanced ejection fraction of myocardium. AFSCs-treated MI rats had a significant decrease in other functional cardiac parameters, along with enzyme biomarkers (LDH and CK-MB) in comparison to MI group. Haematoxylin-Eosin and Masson Trichome staining in heart tissue showed less necrosed heart tissue and lesser expression of collagen and fibrosis in AFSC-treated MI rats. AFSCs limit infarction, reduce fibrosis in heart tissue, and improve left ventricular systolic function in MI rats. Our results suggest that AFSC has potential to treat MI and the use of small animal ECHO-ultrasound to record functional changes could be standard in preclinical settings.

Keyword : ECHO-Ultrasound, AFSC, Myocardial Infarction, Rat, Stem Cell therapy.