Repair of infarcted myocardium by an extract of Geum japonicum with dual effects on angiogenesis and myogenesis.
BACKGROUND
It has become apparent recently that cardiac myocytes can divide after myocardial infarction, a circumstance that challenges the orthodox view that myocytes may be terminally differentiated. Replacement of the necrosed heart tissue by newly regenerated functional myocardium is a therapeutic ideal, but attempts to reconstitute functional myocardia and coronary vessels have been less successful.


METHODS
We isolated a fraction containing 5 compounds from the Chinese herb Geum japonicum, which stimulates the processes of angiogenesis and cardiomyogenesis. We investigated these dual properties in both ex vivo and in vivo systems.


RESULTS
We observed that this bioactive fraction displayed favorable dual actions on early angiogenesis and cardiomyogenesis in acute myocardial infarction in an animal model. Our results demonstrated that application of this bioactive fraction showed pronounced effects on limiting infarct size by 35%-45%, stimulating early development of new blood vessels in 24 h, and regenerating myocardium, replacing approximately 49% of the total infarction volume after 2 weeks. Echocardiographic studies demonstrated marked improvement of left ventricular function within 2 days after infarction, and the improvement was sustained for >1 month.


CONCLUSIONS
The properties of this bioactive fraction appear to be entirely novel and represent a new approach for the treatment of ischemic heart disease.
Li
Ming
M
Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR.
Yu
Cheuk Man
CM
Cheng
Lei
L
Wang
Mei
M
Gu
Xuemei
X
Lee
Ka Ho
KH
Wang
Tian
T
Sung
Yn Tz
YT
Sanderson
John E
JE
D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D031986:Geum / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal