Figure 8.

Experimental protocol. The model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy was created by producing an MI with a 60-min coronary artery occlusion followed a 90 days of reperfusion. Three months after MI, mice received the 1st treatment (vehicle or CPCs either 1 × 10⁶ or 3 × 10⁶) via echo-guided intraventricular injection, followed by 2nd and 3rd injections (vehicle or CPCs 1 × 10⁶) at 5-week intervals. Serial echocardiographic studies were performed before and 5 weeks after each injection. BrdU was given via mini-osmotic pumps for 5 weeks starting right after the 1st injection (until the 2nd injection). IdU was started right after the 3rd injection and continued for 5 weeks until euthanasia. Mice then underwent hemodynamic studies and the hearts were fixed for histological studies.