This report documents the formation of stable fetal cardiomyocyte grafts in the myocardium of dystrophic dogs. Preliminary experiments established that the dystrophin gene product could be used to follow the fate of engrafted cardiomyocytes in dystrophic mdx mice. Importantly, ultrastructural analyses revealed the presence of intercalated discs consisting of fascia adherens, desmosomes, and gap junctions at the donor-host cardiomyocyte border. To determine if isolated cardiomyocytes could form stable intracardiac grafts in a larger species, preparations of dissociated fetal canine cardiomyocytes were delivered into the hearts of adult CXMD (canine X-linked muscular dystrophy) dogs. CXMD dogs, like Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and mdx mice, fail to express dystrophin in both cardiac and skeletal muscle. Engrafted fetal cardiomyocytes, identified by virtue of dystrophin immunoreactivity, were observed to be tightly juxtaposed with host cardiomyocytes as long as 10 wk after engraftment, the latest date analyzed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed the presence of connexin43, a major constituent of the gap junction, at the donor-host cardiomyocyte border. The presence of intracardiac grafts was not associated with arrhythmogenesis in the CXMD model. These results indicate that fetal cardiomyocyte grafting can successfully augment cardiomyocyte number in larger animals. (J. Clin. Invest. 1995Invest. . 96:2034Invest. -2042

RFCA in open-chest dogs produces partial vagal denervation and reduces the inducibility of AF.

Background. Erythromycin is known to prolong ventricular repolarization and has been associated with the occurrence of torsades de pointes. In this study, we have investigated potential mechanisms in vivo and in vitro for induction of an acquired long QT syndrome by erythromycin.Methods and Results. Ventricular electrograms and endocardial monophasic action potentials were recorded in anesthetized open-chest dogs before and after administration of 40 to 120 mg/kg of

Epicardial phenol application or transmural myocardial infarction in dogs produces sympathetic denervation of myocardium apical to the site of the intervention. Because efferent denervation is probably postganglionic, reinnervation most likely occurs but has not been shown. We investigated whether '23I-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), a norepinephrine analogue taken up by sympathetic nerve terminals, could provide a scintigraphic image that would detect apical sympathetic denervation and possible reinnervation. Dogs underwent MIBG scintigraphic imaging at various times after phenol application or transmural myocardial infarction. The results of MIBG scintigraphy were correlated with electrophysiological responses obtained during ansae subclaviae and norepinephrine stimulation to establish the presence of neural denervation and reinnervation. Apical defects in the MIBG scan, which were associated with either normal perfusion by thallium or a smaller-sized defect, were found consistently in dogs that had apical sympathetic innervation. MIBG scintigraphic images returned to normal after 14 weeks (mean) at a time when reinnervation was shown to have occurred. Thus, the results of MIBG scintigraphy correlated accurately with the presence of denervation and reinnervation established by neuroelectrophysiological testing. Supersensitive refractory period shortening in response to norepinephrine infusion was present after denervation and persisted for more than 3 weeks after scintigraphic and electrophysiological evidence of reinnervation. Conclusions are that 1) MIBG can be used noninvasively to determine the presence of regional myocardial elferent sympathetic denervation and subsequent reinnervation, 2) reinnervation occurs after phenol application or transmural myocardial infarction, and 3) denervation supersensitivity persists even after reinnervation occurs.