Fig. 5.

Protective, rebound effect on the Ejection Fraction inmdxmice between 30 and 90 days after systemic-intraosseous DEC (MB^wt/MB^mdxDEC and MB^wt/MSC^mdx) transplant confirmed by Echocardiography. a Ejection Fraction in mdx vehicle control and mdx mice systemically injected with not-fused (MB^wt + MSC^mdx and MB^wt + MB^mdx) controls and MB^wt/MSC^mdx or MB^wt/MB^mdx DEC lines (n > 3). EF values revealed an increase between day 30 and day 90 for both DEC injected groups: MB^wt/MB^mdx (day 30–53.51% ± 14.53%; day 90–59.07% ± 3.59% and MB^wt/MSC^mdx (day 30–61.40% ± 15.01%; day 90–70.39% ± 5.80%), while a continued drop of EF was observed in the vehicle injected mdx controls (day 30–67.08% ± 12.00%; day 90–49.98% ± 3.82%). At day 90 MB^wt/MB^mdx (p = 0.031) and MB^wt/MSC^mdx (p = 0.049) groups demonstrated a higher ejection fraction compared to vehicle injected controls, and confirmed a rebound effect of the DEC therapy compared to day 30 values. b EF values for mdx mice injected with MB^wt/MB^mdx (59.07% ± 3.59%) and MB^wt/MSC^mdx (70.39% ± 5.80%) DEC cell lines were significantly increased at day 90 after DEC transplant compared to the not-fused control groups of MB^wt + MB^mdx (50.46% ± 2.08%, p = 0.007) and MB^wt + MSC^mdx (55.45% ± 2.29%, p = 0.049), respectively