Role of balloon occlusion for mononuclear bone marrow cell deposition after intracoronary injection in pigs with reperfused myocardial infarction

Aims In clinical studies on cell therapy for acute myocardial infarction (MI), cells are usually applied by intracoronary infusion with balloon (IC/B). To test the utility of balloon occlusion, mononuclear bone marrow cell (MNC) retention after intracoronary infusion without balloon (IC/noB) was compared with IC/B and intramyocardial (IM) injection. Methods and results Four hours after LAD ligation in male pigs, reperfusion was allowed (confirmed by coronary angiography). Five days later, 1 × 108 autologous 111Indium-labelled MNC were injected IC/noB ( n = 4), IC/B ( n = 4), or IM ( n = 4). At 1 h the fraction of injected MNC that was detected in the heart was 4.1 ± 1.1% after IC/noB inject…