Intracoronary injection of basic fibroblast growth factor enhances angiogenesis in infarcted swine myocardium.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to examine the effect of intracoronary exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on angiogenesis in infarcted myocardial regions.


BACKGROUND
Exogenous bFGF is a potent promoter of angiogenesis. Little information is available on its effect on myocardial angiogenesis.


METHODS
Myocardial infarction was induced in 10 pigs by intracoronary injection of microscopic beads. Four pigs served as a control group; in six pigs slow-release bFGF was delivered by the beads. Cardiac performance was evaluated by repeated echocardiographic measurement and angiogenesis was evaluated by immunohistochemical studies 14 days later.


RESULTS
As compared with control pigs, pigs treated with bFGF had higher microvessel counts (mean +/- SEM) in both viable tissue (141 +/- 27 per field vs. 39 +/- 4, p = 0.01) and nonviable tissue (329 +/- 26 per field vs. 95 +/- 7, p < 0.001) within the infarct area. No significant differences in total regional left ventricular wall motion were noted between the two groups throughout the 14-day study period.


CONCLUSIONS
In the swine, direct intracoronary application of bFGF to infarcted myocardium enhances myocardial neovascularization within 2 weeks.
Battler
A
A
Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Scheinowitz
M
M
Bor
A
A
Hasdai
D
D
Vered
Z
Z
Di Segni
E
E
Varda-Bloom
N
N
Nass
D
D
Engelberg
S
S
Eldar
M
M
D000818:Animals; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D013552:Swine
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2