Regeneration of Chronic Rotator Cuff Tear in a Rabbit Model: Synergetic Benefits of Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Polydeoxyribonucleotides, and Microcurrent Therapy

Objective. To investigate synergic therapeutic effects of combined injection of intralesional mesenchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood (UCB-MSCs) and polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) combined with microcurrent therapy (MIC) on full thickness rotator cuff tendon tear (FTRCTT) in rabbit models. Methods. Thirty-two rabbit models were assigned to 4 different groups. FTRCTT in the supraspinatus tendon was created. After 6 weeks, 4 types of procedures (0.2 mL normal saline injection, group 1 (G1-NS); 0.2 mL SC injection, group 2 (G2-MSC); 0.2 mL SC and weekly four injections of 0.2 mL PDRN with sham MIC, group 3 (G3-MSC+PDRN+sham MIC); and 0.2 mL SC and weekly four injections of 0.2 mL PDRN with MIC for four weeks, group 4 (G4-MSC+PDRN+MIC)) were performed in FTRCTT. Gross morphologic and histological changes of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1) and motion analysis were performed. Results. There was a significant difference in gross morphologic changes between baseline and week 4 posttreatment in group 4 compared to the other three groups ( p = 0.01 ). In groups 3 and 4, all parameters of histochemical and motion analysis have been found to be significantly greater than the ones in groups 1 and 2 ( p < 0.05 ). In group 4, PCNA-, VEGF-, and PECAM-1-stained cells, as well as walking distance, were significantly greater than the ones in group 3 ( p < 0.05 ). Conclusion. The treatment with UCB-MSCs and PDRN combined with MIC might be the most effective in rabbit models’ traumatic FRTCTT.