Doppler examination of aorta after therapeutic hypothermia and administering MSCs in experimental myocardial infarction
Authors: Chyzh M. O. , Manchenko A. O. , Trofimova A. V. , Belochkina I. V. 
Published: April 2021

Background. At present, there are attempts aimed at repairing the myocardium affected by acute myocardial infarction (MI) via biologically sourced drugs, which are able to stimulate reparative regeneration, including the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). On the other hand, therapeutic hypothermia initially after the occurrence of impaired blood flow in the coronary arteries aids in reducing the level of metabolism in cardiomyocytes and, accordingly, suppressing the formation of free radicals and inhibiting apoptosis.

Purpose – рerforming and analysing Doppler sonography of the ascending aorta in rats with experimental MI in order to assess the systolic function of the left ventricular myocardium influenced by the combined use of therapeutic hypothermia and administering allogeneic MSCs.

Materials and methods. The study involved 90 outbred white rats weighing 240–270 g. Myocardial infarction was reproduced by ligating the left coronary artery. Therapeutic hypothermia was performed in a cold chamber, 60 minutes long. The local skin temperature of the neck area was maintained at +4 оС. A suspension of allogeneic cryopreserved MSCs of the placenta was administered once intravenously. Sonography of the ascending aorta on day 7 and day 30 after ligating the coronary artery was carried out by means of «Сономед 500» ultrasound scanner in B-mode with the Doppler (PW-mode).

Results. Studying the aortic blood flow showed that on day 7 after ligating the coronary artery, rats had a decrease in max systolic velocity and a tendency to increase diastolic blood flow velocity. Those changes influenced the pulsatility index and systolic-diastolic ratio. A 19 % decrease in the Stewart index confirmed the development of systolic dysfunction in the control group, the severity of which did not decrease until day 30 of the experiment. The impact of allogeneic MSCs on the process of remodeling the heart of rats after ligating the left coronary artery was evident on day 7 (acute stage of myocardial infarction) via abnormally low (below control) blood flow in the aorta with complete hemodynamics restoring on day 30 of the experiment. The combination of therapeutic hypothermia and administering allogeneic MSCs aided in the minimal deviation of hemodynamic parameters from the normal range. On day 7, there was only an increase in the average aortic blood flow rate by 29%, and a decrease in systolic-diastolic ratio by 12% compared to the corresponding normal range, suggesting compensation of the pumping function of the myocardium.

Conclusions. Doppler assessment of systolic and diastolic blood flow velocities in the ascending aorta of rats makes it possible to indirectly record the presence and severity of systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle and follow up myocardial contractile function affected by MI. The combination of therapeutic hypothermia and administering allogeneic MSCs after ligating the left coronary artery helps to maintain hemodynamic parameters in the aorta at a level close to normal range during the acute phase of myocardial infarction as well as at the stage of scarring.