Hepatocyte growth factor prevents intimal hyperplasia in rabbit carotid expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafting.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The major cause of vascular prosthesis failure is anastomotic intimal hyperplasia caused by the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is an endothelium-specific growth factor that exerts a mitogenic action on endothelial cells. This study was designed to examine the effect of HGF on the suppression of intimal hyperplasia after small-caliber expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafting.

METHODS:

An ePTFE graft, 2 mm in diameter and 30 mm in length, was implanted in the left common carotid arteries of Japanese white rabbits, after which the animals were fed with a 1.0% cholesterol diet. HGF was infused intravenously immediately and then every day for 7 days at doses of 0.3 mg/body (the 0.3-mg HGF group; n = 20) or 1.0 mg/body (the 1.0-mg HGF group; n = 17). A control group (n = 20) underwent infusion with saline solution. The rabbits were killed on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 28.

RESULTS:

The patency rates on POD 28 were 33%, 55%, and 100% in the control, the 0.3-mg HGF, and the 1.0-mg HGF groups, respectively, with a significant difference between the control and the 1.0-mg HGF group (P <.05). Endothelial-like cells were seen on the intraluminal surface of the graft only near the anastomotic site on POD 5 in the 1.0-mg HGF group. Intimal thickness at the distal anastomosis was 284 +/- 140 microm, 106 +/- 18 microm, and 67 +/- 10 microm in the control, the 0.3-mg HGF, and the 1.0-mg HGF groups, respectively, with a significant difference between the control and both HGF groups (P <.05). The number of anti-embryonic smooth muscle antibody positive cells at the distal anastomosis was 28.6 +/- 0.8, 3.8 +/- 2.8, and 3.9 +/- 0.9 in the control, the 0.3-mg HGF, and the 1.0-mg HGF groups, respectively, with a significant difference between the control and both HGF groups (P <.01).

CONCLUSION:

HGF might suppress intimal thickness at the anastomotic site and improve the patency rate via rapid reendothelialization by POD 28 in a rabbit carotid ePTFE grafting model.

• Authors: Masakazu Harada, Hiroaki Takenaka, Sigeru Ikenaga, Hua Zhang, Nobuya Zempo, Kensuke Esato, Tomokazu Nagano, Mutsuo Taiji, Hiroshi Noguchi
• Journal: Journal of vascular surgery (J Vasc Surg) Vol. 35 Issue 4 Pg. 786-91 (Apr 2002) ISSN: 0741-5214 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11932680 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cholesterol, Dietary
• Hepatocyte Growth Factor
• Polytetrafluoroethylene

Topics

• Animals
• Blood Vessel Prosthesis
• Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation
• Carotid Artery, Common (pathology, surgery)
• Cholesterol, Dietary (administration & dosage)
• Hepatocyte Growth Factor (pharmacology)
• Hyperplasia (pathology)
• Male
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular (pathology)
• Polytetrafluoroethylene
• Rabbits
• Tunica Intima (pathology)
• Vascular Patency