Effect of VEGF on intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cell in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Objective To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on left ventricular function of intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods After successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction, 25 patients were randomly assigned to either a bone-marrow-cell transplantation group that received optimum medical treatment and intracoronary transfer of autologous bone-marrow cells 14 days after PCI, or a control group that received optimum postinfarction medical treatment. Datas of myocardial perfusion imaging and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were obtained by SPECT and echocardiogram respectively before and at 6 months' followed-up. The serum levels of VEGF were measured by ELISA at 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 28-day, 56-day time-points after transplantation, respectively. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in myocardial perfusion imaging or LVEF before intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cell (P>0.05). After 6 months, myocardial perfusion imaging and LVEF in treated patients was improved significantly (P 0.05). The serum levels of VEGF at 7-day, 14-day, 28-day after stem cell transplantation in patients accepted treatment were significantly higher than the levels in control patients(P<0.05). Conclusions After intracoronary transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cell in patients with acute myocardial infarction, the left ventricular function and myocardial infusion could be improved and the heart failure decreased by the way to increase serum level of VEGF. Key words: Acute myocardial infarction;  Bone marrow stem cell;  Transplantation;  Cardiac function;  Vascular endothelial growth factor