Unmodified autologous stem cells at point of care for chronic myocardial infarction

Figure 2 Angiographic details of the present study. A: Baseline coronary angiography of a porcine heart in a left anterior oblique view (in all panels, the white asterisk indicates the angiography catheter positioned in the left main coronary ostium). The white arrowheads indicate the distal LAD artery; B: Induction of myocardial infarction by occlusion of the LAD artery for three hours through an inflated balloon catheter at time point T0. The white arrow indicates the position of the inflated balloon inside the mid LAD artery, whereas the white arrowheads show the guidewire in the distally occluded LAD artery; C: Complete reperfusion of the LAD artery (white arrowheads) three hours after removal of the balloon occlusion; D: Delivery of fresh, uncultured, unmodified, autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (or saline as control, respectively) through the LAD vein (matching the initial LAD artery occlusion site) into the infarction area 4 wk later (i.e. at time point T1). To this end, the LAD vein was occluded with an inflated “over the wire” balloon catheter advanced through a guiding catheter (black arrows), placed from the right jugular vein into the right atrium and then into the coronary sinus. The inflated balloon (filled with contrast dye; white arrowhead) in the coronary LAD vein had the aim to prevent the backflow of cells when they were delivered through the distal orifice of the central lumen of this balloon catheter. LAD: Left anterior descending.