Combined treatment with sustained-release basic fibroblast growth factor and heparin enhances neovascularization in hypercholesterolemic mouse hindlimb ischemia.
BACKGROUND
Whether the combined treatment with sustained-release basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and heparin enhances neovascularization in hypercholesterolemic mouse hindlimb ischemia was investigated.


RESULTS
Wild-type C57BL/6 and low density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice were assigned to 1 of the following 4 experimental groups and treated for 2 weeks after femoral artery extraction: group N, no treatment; group H, daily subcutaneous injection of heparin calcium; group F, single intramuscular injection of the sustained-release bFGF microspheres; and group FH, combined treatment with sustained-release bFGF and heparin. Among the wild-type mice at 4 weeks after femoral artery extraction, the laser Doppler perfusion image index (LDPII) in groups H, F, and FH was significantly higher than that in group N. The vascular density in group FH was the highest among the 4 groups. The maturation index in the 3 treated groups was significantly higher than that in group N. Among the hypercholesterolemic mice, the LDPII in group FH was significantly higher than that in the other 3 groups. The vascular density and maturation index in group FH were the highest among the 4 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined treatment with sustained-release bFGF and heparin enhanced neovascularization in the hypercholesterolemic hindlimb ischemia model.
Arai
Yoshio
Y
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Fujita
Masatoshi
M
Marui
Akira
A
Hirose
Keiichi
K
Sakaguchi
Hisashi
H
Ikeda
Tadashi
T
Tabata
Yasuhiko
Y
Komeda
Masashi
M
D000818:Animals; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000172:deficiency
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D006493:Heparin