Genetic modification of skeletal myoblast with connexin 43 and Akt genes enhances cell resistance to hyperthermic and oxidative stress

Abstract

Our current project is concerned with application of cellular therapy for heart repair after experimentally induced infarction in rabbit’s heart. For transplantation into damaged myocardium we use autologic skeletal myoblasts [1]. One of the major problems is the survival and electrical integration of implanted myoblasts. Therefore, before transplantation we transfect the myoblasts with connexin43 (Cx43) or protein kinase B (Akt) genes which are expected to improve cell-to-cell coupling, prevent the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and improve antiapoptotic properties of myoblasts [2]. Since the transplantation of the cells is often followed by inflammation and other cardiotoxic processes, we examined the resistance of control and Cx43 or Akt transfected cells to hyperthermic shock and to exogenous active oxigen species (H2O2). Also we demonstrated that non-invasive measurement of NAD(P)H fluorescence in vivo could be used for evaluation of viability of damaged cardiac muscle after cellular therapy. [...]