Treatment of experimental esophagogastric myotomy with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in a rat model.

Background Over the last 15 years, many studies demonstrated the myogenic regenerative potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC), making them an attractive tool for the regeneration of damaged tissues. In this study, we have developed an animal model of esophagogastric myotomy (MY) aimed at determining the role of autologous MSC in the regeneration of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) after surgery. Methods Syngeneic BM-MSC were locally injected at the site of MY. Histological and functional analysis were performed to evaluate muscle regeneration, contractive capacity, and the presence of green fluorescent protein–positive BMMSC (BM-MSC-GFP+) in the damaged area at different time points from implantation. Key Results Treatment with syngeneic BM-MSC improved muscle regeneration and increased contractile function of damaged LES. Transplanted BM-MSC-GFP+ remained on site up to 30 days post injection. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that MSC maintain their phenotype and no differentiation toward smooth or striated muscle was shown at any time point. Conclusions & Inferences Our data support the use of autologous BM-MSC to both improve sphincter regeneration of LES and to control the gastro-esophageal reflux after MY.