Stimulation of Proliferation and Differentiation of Rat Resident Myocardial Cells with Apoptotic Bodies of Cardiomyocytes.

Using the cell model of regenerative cardiomyogenesis (formation of contracting cardiomyocyte colonies from resident stem cells), we found that the addition of cardiomyocyte-derived apoptotic bodies to the culture of neonatal myocardial cells stimulated proliferation and differentiation of cardiomyocyte precursors and the frequency of their contraction was 1.5-fold higher than in the control. Systemic administration of cardiomyocyte-derived apoptotic bodies to Wistar rats with chronic postinfarction heart failure during the early period of myocardial remodeling considerably improved the contractile function of the heart.