Effects of vascular endothelial growth factor transduction through a Foley's catheter on local vascular endothelial cell growth

Yumei SUN; Qigong LIU; Xiangyang ZHENG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)can promote vascular endothelial regeneration,inhibit thrombosis,and attenuate neonatal intimal thickness and luminal stenosis degree.

OBJECTIVE:

The present study established atherosclerosis models in rabbits and observed the effects of local transfection of VEGF gene on restenosis after angioplasty.DESIGN,TIME AND

SETTING:

A randomized controlled animal experiment was performed at the Laboratory of Microorganism,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology between November 2004 and December 2006.MATERIALSRabbits were daily raised with high-fat diet to create atherosclerosis models.Twenty successful rabbit models were randomly and evenly divided into a control group and a gene treatment group.

METHODS:

The DcNDA 3.0 recombinant human VEGF165(hVEGF 165)was trimsferred to the ventral aorta through the use of Foley's catheters.and the pcDNA3.0 was transfefred in the controls.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

At 1,2,and 4 weeks after surgery,luminal area of left renal artery opening was measured by MRI.At 2 and 4 weeks after surgery,the ratio for intimal to medial area was obtained through the use of HMIAS-2000 high definition color medical image analysis software.Simultaneously,vascular endothelial cell regeneration was observed by immunohistochemistry of factor Ⅷ related antigen.

RESULTS:

The pcDNA3.0/hVEGF 165 could be successfully transferred through the use of Foley's catheters.At 2 and 4 weeks after surgery,luminal area was larger in the gene treatment group than in the control group(P<0.01);simultaneously, the ratio of intimal to medial area was significantly smaller in the gene treatment group than in the control group(P<0.05).In the gene treatment group,expanded vascular endothelial cell regeneration was accomplished at 2 weeks after surgery,while in the control group,it took 4 weeks.

CONCLUSION:

pcDNA3.0/hVEGF 165 gene transduction can promote local vascular endotllelialization and apparently attenuate restenosis degree and intiaml thickening.