[Inhibitory effects of basic fibroblast growth factor on fibrosis of strain injured skeletal muscles in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the healing of strain injured skeletal muscles in rats.


METHODS
Eighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: no strain control group (C(on)), muscle strained and bFGF treated group (S(b)), or normal saline treated group (S(0)). The gastrocnemius of rats in the S(b) and S(0) groups was strained and the animals were treated with bFGF (200 AU/d) or normal saline for six days. Vimentin expression, an indicator of muscle fibrosis in injured muscles (expressed as integral optical density, IOD), was measured by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The IOD of vimentin in the S(0) group [(24.29 +/- 7.91) x 10(3)] was higher than that in the C(on) group [(5.75 +/- 3.87) x 10(3)] (P < 0.01). The IOD of vimentin in bFGF treated group [(15.78 +/- 7.72) x 10(3)] was lower than that in the normal saline treated group (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The exogenous bFGF may facilitate the repair of muscle structure and function by reducing vimentin expression and fibrosis in strain injured muscles.
Feng
Xin
X
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Wang
Sheng
S
Li
Guo-zhen
GZ
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013180:Sprains and Strains; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
D014746:Vimentin; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2