title: The effects of basic fibroblast growth factor in an animal model of acute mechanically induced right ventricular hypertrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of a continuous infusion of basic fibroblast growth factor on the adaptive potential of the right ventricular myocardium after 30 days of mechanically induced overload in rats.                                       Materials and methods               We banded the pulmonary trunk, so as to increase the systolic workload of the right ventricle, in six Lewis/HanHsd rats at the age of 11 weeks, using six adult rats as controls. The six adult rats were also banded and received an additional continuous infusion of basic fibroblastic growth factor, using six rats with a continuous infusion of basic fibroblastic growth factor only as controls. We analysed the functional adaptation and structural changes of the right ventricular myocardium, blood vessels, and interstitial tissue 30 days after the increased afterload.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pulmonary artery banding induced an increase in the right ventricular free wall thickness of banded rats when compared with controls, which was mainly justified by an increase in cardiomyocyte area and in the percentage of extracellular fibrosis. The infusion of basic fibroblastic growth factor promotes a more extensive capillary network in banded rats (p < 0.001), which modulates the compensatory response of the right ventricle, promoting the hypertrophy of contractile elements and limiting the areas in which fibrosis develops (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The subcutaneous infusion with osmotic pumps was a valid and reproducible method of delivering basic fibroblast growth factor to heart tissue. This infusion contributed to better preserve the right ventricular capillary network, hampering the development of interstitial fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery Unit, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua, Italy. vladimiro.vida@unipd.it
authors.forename: Vladimiro L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Vida
authors.forename: Arben
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dedja
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Faggin
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Speggiorin
authors.forename: Massimo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Padalino
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boccuzzo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pauletto
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Milanesi
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thiene
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stellin
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005355:Fibrosis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects*; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000473:pathology*; D055104:Infusions, Subcutaneous; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2