INTRACORONARY INJECTION OF BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR ENHANCES ANGIOGENESIS IN INFARCTED SWINE MYOCARDIUM

Objectives. This study was performed to examine the effect of intracor onary exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on angiogenesis in infarcted myocardial regions. Background. Exogenous bFGF is a poten t promoter of angiogenesis. Little information is available on its eff ect on myocardial angiogenesis. Methods. Myocardial infarction was ind uced in 10 pigs by intracoronary injection of microscopic beads. Four pigs served as a control group; in six pigs slow-release bFGF was deli vered by the beads. Cardiac performance was evaluated by repeated echo cardiographic measurement and angiogenesis was evaluated by immunohist ochemical studies 14 days later. Results. As compared with control pig s, pigs treated with bFGF had higher microvessel counts (mean +/- SEM) in both viable tissue (141 +/- 27 per field vs. 39 +/- 4, p = 0.01) a nd nonviable tissue (329 +/- 26 per field vs. 95 +/- 7, p <0.001) with in the infarct area. No significant differences in total regional left ventricular wall motion were noted between the two groups throughout the 14-day study period. Conclusions. In the swine, direct intracorona ry application of bFGF to infarcted myocardium enhances myocardial neo vascularization within 2 weeks.