Functional and Histological Analysis of Stem Cell and Amniotic Membrane Implantation After Acute Myocardial Infarction with Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Experimental Study

Introduction. Acute myocardial infarction is caused by a lack of oxygen supply to the myocardium, which results in the loss of cardiomyocytes and replacement by fibrotic scar tissue, and this event is related to the development of heart failure. Regenerative medicine has emerged as an option to increase the effectiveness of treatment for severe cases of heart failure. Objectives. To evaluate the potential for myocardial regeneration after acute myocardial infarction, using biomaterial made from Mononuclear Stem Cells and Human Amniotic Membrane. Materials and Methods. For the study, 120 Wistar rats were submitted to experimental acute myocardial infarction. On the 7th day, rats with an ejection fraction of < 50% on echocardiography were randomized into four groups: 1- control; 2- stem cells; 3- amniotic membrane; 4- amniotic membrane associated with stem cells. On the 30th day, the surviving animals underwent echocardiography and were then euthanized. Results. There was a reduction in systolic and diastolic volume in the amniotic membrane associated with stem cells group. Histological analysis showed that the animals in this group had less fibrosis and a lower percentage of type I collagen. Conclusion. The animals in the stem cell-associated amniotic membrane group had reduced ventricular volumes and less fibrosis.