Basic fibroblast growth factor as a potential stent coating material inducing endothelial cell proliferation.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Drug-eluting stents reduce restenosis but can impair reendothelialization, increasing thrombosis risk.
• Delayed healing after percutaneous coronary intervention necessitates strategies to enhance endothelial repair.
• Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays a key role in vascular repair processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) as a stent coating.
• To evaluate bFGF's effect on endothelial cell proliferation and migration.
• To assess bFGF's impact on vascular smooth muscle cell behavior and eNOS expression.

Main Methods:

• In vitro culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs).
• Treatment with varying doses of bFGF to assess proliferation and migration.
• Western blotting analysis to determine endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein levels.

Main Results:

• bFGF significantly promoted HUVEC proliferation and migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
• bFGF had minimal impact on HASMC proliferation.
• bFGF increased eNOS protein expression in HUVECs, peaking at 10 ng/mL.

Conclusions:

• bFGF demonstrates potential as a stent coating material to promote endothelialization.
• It facilitates early reendothelialization while minimizing excessive smooth muscle cell proliferation.
• bFGF represents a promising therapeutic agent for improving stent performance and vascular healing.