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Growth factors as a potential new treatment for ischemic heart disease
1Service de Cardiologie B et Hémodynamique, Hôpital Cardiologique, Université de Lille, France.
Insights
Growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) improve endothelial function in animal models of vascular disease. These growth factors enhance collateral circulation and repair blood vessels, offering therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Regenerative Medicine
- Endothelial Biology
Background:
- Endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of vascular diseases.
- Growth factors like VEGF and FGF play critical roles in endothelial cell function.
- Impaired endothelial function can limit tissue perfusion and recovery from ischemic events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effects of VEGF and FGF on endothelial dysfunction in animal models.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of VEGF and FGF in vascular disease.
- To assess the impact of these growth factors on collateral circulation, balloon injury recovery, and atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies using animal models of vascular disease (hindlimb ischemia, balloon angioplasty, atherosclerosis).
- Analysis of data on collateral circulation development and endothelial function.
- Evaluation of endothelial regrowth and response to agonists after interventions.
Main Results:
- VEGF and FGF administration augmented collateral development in hindlimb ischemia models.
- These growth factors promoted endothelial regrowth and normalized responses after balloon angioplasty.
- FGF treatment improved endothelium-dependent responses in diet-induced atherosclerosis models.
Conclusions:
- In vivo administration of VEGF and FGF significantly improves endothelial function in various vascular disease models.
- These growth factors enhance neovascularization and endothelial repair.
- VEGF and FGF represent a promising therapeutic strategy for vascular diseases.
Abstract:
Growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) exert important effects on endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. This article reviews the effect of these two growth factors on endothelial dysfunction in various animal models of vascular disease: (1) collateral circulation supplying an ischemic territory, (2) balloon injury, and (3) diet-induced experimental atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction may limit the beneficial effects of collateral vessels on tissue perfusion. Administration of VEGF or basic FGF (bFGF) augments collateral development in different models of hindlimb ischemia by enhancing neovascularity and by facilitating the recovery of endothelial function in the collateral circulation. Similarly, studies performed after balloon angioplasty have demonstrated abnormal responses of previously dilated sites to endothelium-dependent agonists. Administration of VEGF or bFGF increases endothelial regrowth and normalizes endothelium-dependent responses after experimental angioplasty. Finally, endothelium-dependent relaxation is impaired in diet-induced experimental atherosclerosis. It was recently demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic rabbits treated with bFGF had significantly better endothelium-dependent responses than those not treated with bFGF. These results show that in vivo administration of the endothelial cell growth factors VEGF and bFGF leads to significant improvement in endothelium-dependent responses and supports the concept of using these growth factors as a new therapeutic strategy for patients with vascular diseases.