FIG. 1.

(A) Morphology of SMB and MSC. (B) Study protocol used for the assessment of cardiac function and histology. Athymic nude rats (F344/NJcl-rnu/rnu) underwent induction of myocardial infarction by occluding the LAD permanently, followed by the treatment procedure 2 weeks later. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography just before 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the treatment procedure. Eight weeks after the treatment procedure, invasive hemodynamic analysis and histological examination were performed following the sacrifice. SMB+MSC, co-culture of SMBs and MSCs; SMB, skeletal myoblast; MSC, derived mesenchymal stem cell; Echo, echocardiography; PV loop, invasive hemodynamic analysis. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tea