title: Efficacy of photocrosslinkable chitosan hydrogel containing fibroblast growth factor-2 in a rabbit model of chronic myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium has been shown to be an effective strategy to improve regional blood flow and myocardial function. However, no effective delivery system for growth factor administration is yet known to induce important therapeutic angiogenic responses in ischemic myocardium.
  
  
  METHODS
  FGF-2-incorporated chitosan (FGF-2/chitosan) hydrogels were immobilized on the surface of ischemic myocardium of rabbit models of chronic myocardial infarction by UV-irradiation. After 4 weeks, cardiac functional analyses by noradrenalin challenge and histopathological analyses were performed to evaluate the efficacy of a controlled release of FGF-2 from FGF-2/chitosan hydrogel immobilized on the surface of ischemic myocardium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvement by application of FGF-2/chitosan hydrogels was found in systolic pressure at the left ventricle, +dp/dt maximum, and -dp/dt maximum during noradrenalin challenge at a dose of 1 microg/kg/min. Histological observations showed that a significantly larger amount of viable myocardium and CD 31 immunostained blood vessels were found in the FGF-2/chitosan hydrogel-applied group than only the chitosan-applied and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results indicate that the controlled release of biologically active FGF-2 molecules from FGF-2/chitosan hydrogel induces angiogenesis and possibly collateral circulation in ischemic myocardium, thereby protecting the myocardium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan. BXB01424@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simizu
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yura
authors.forename: Takemi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Bonpei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanatani
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048271:Chitosan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D048271:Chitosan