title: Stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha is cardioprotective after myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart disease is a leading cause of mortality throughout the world. Tissue damage from vascular occlusive events results in the replacement of contractile myocardium by nonfunctional scar tissue. The potential of new technologies to regenerate damaged myocardium is significant, although cell-based therapies must overcome several technical barriers. One possible cell-independent alternative is the direct administration of small proteins to damaged myocardium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we show that the secreted signaling protein stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha), which activates the cell-survival factor protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) via the G protein-coupled receptor CXCR4, protected tissue after an acute ischemic event in mice and activated Akt within endothelial cells and myocytes of the heart. Significantly better cardiac function than in control mice was evident as early as 24 hours after infarction as well as at 3, 14, and 28 days after infarction. Prolonged survival of hypoxic myocardium was followed by an increase in levels of vascular endothelial growth factor protein and neoangiogenesis. Consistent with improved cardiac function, mice exposed to SDF-1alpha demonstrated significantly decreased scar formation than control mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that SDF-1alpha may serve a tissue-protective and regenerative role for solid organs suffering a hypoxic insult.
authors.affiliation: Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, 1650 Owens St, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
authors.forename: Ankur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Sangho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: James W P
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: DiMaio
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Srivastava
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt