Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology - contenuto non piu disponibile

Background. The incompetence of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) with consequent exposition of the esophageal mucosa to gastric acid leads to gastroesophageal reflux disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether intralesional injections of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSC), which proved useful in the treatment of urinary (1) and anal (2) incontinence, could also help muscle regeneration at the site of surgical myotomy of rat LES. Methods. 24 inbred Wistar Furth rats were divided into three groups: group A underwent a sham operation followed by saline injection; group B LES myotomy plus saline injection; group C LES myotomy followed by an intra-sphincteric injection of culture-expanded syngeneic BM-MSC. At day 30, histological and morphometric analysis were performed on metacrylate embedded samples. GFP positive MSC isolated from transgenic rats were moreover used to track the cells in the injured area in cryostat sections at days 7, 14 and 30 after the lesion. Cryostat sections were also used for immunohistochemical detection of striated and smooth muscular markers (a actinin, a smooth muscle actin, calponin). Results. At day 30 of surgery, the muscle area fraction (MAF) at the site of LES myotomy was significantly higher in group C compared to group B animals (p