FIG. 5.

Confocal micrographs of hearts that received treatment with SASG implanted through lateral thoracotomy (A, C, E), or by minimally invasive SASG-VATS (B, D, F), after 4 weeks of treatment showing α-SMA⁺ blood vessels and donor CL-MSC-GFP⁺. CL-MSC-GFP⁺ were observed within the spheroids or within the graft in close relationship with arterioles, which tended to surround and infiltrate the spheroids (A, B). Yet, some of the delivered human CL-MSC contributed to vascularization, as GFP-expressing cells were colocalized with α-SMA⁺ cells in the LV scar (C, D) and graft area (E, F) from both groups, implying CL-MSC smooth muscle. Top panel shows merged image, whereas small panel below indicates shows each staining: α-SMA⁺ blood vessels (red), CL-MSC-GFP⁺ cells (green), nuclei (DAPI, blue). α-SMA⁺, alpha-smooth muscle actin positive. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/scd