ABSTRACT
AIM: To determine the effect of intermittent hypoxia (IH) precondition on ischemic myocardium by using a rabbit model of chro nic myocardial ischemia with left anterior descending (LAD) banding. METHODS: Male, adult New Zealand white rabbits were assigned into three groups randomly. (1) normal group (N group), (2) control group (C group), (3) IH precondition group (H group). A LAD band was placed in C and H group firs t. The rabbits in H group were exposed to altitude of 5 000 m, for 6 h/day c ontin uously. According to IH precondition duration, the animals were subdivided into 7-days group (H1) and 42-days group (H2). After these experiments, the mRNA conc entrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia induced factor (HIF-1?), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and the expression of VEGF p rotein were detected. Tissue sections were stained for alkaline phosphatase with indoxyl-tetrazolium method to detect capillary density. RESULTS: The mRNA levels of VEGF, HIF-1?, eNOS and expression V E GF protein were increased in H group significantly. Compared with C and N group, the capillary density in H group was increased significantly. CONCLUSION: IH precondition increases angiogenesis in chronic is chemic myocardium in rabbits.