Protective effect of basic fibroblast growth factor against myocyte death and arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction in rats.

The present study in rats investigated whether basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays an important role in cardioprotection against myocardial cell death and arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). After ligating the left coronary artery in 62 Wistar rats, 20 Eg of human recombinant bFGF was injected into the infarcted myocardium in 33 rats (group F), while saline was used for 29 control rats (group C). The development of ventricular tachyarrhythmias was assessed during the first 30 min of ischemia. After 24 h occlusion, the hearts of the surviving rats (group F: n=13, group C: n=10) were excised to assess minimum infarct wall thickness and infarct size, determine the number of TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes and to analyze Bcl-2 and Bax expression by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. The incidence of ventricular tachycardia was higher in group C than in group F (p<0.05). The thinning ratio was higher in group F than in group C (p<0.05). There were fewer TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes in the infarct border area in group F than in group C (p<.0001). Western blot analysis showed greater expression of Bcl-2 in group F than in group C (p<0.05), but similar expression of Bax in the 2 groups. In conclusion, intramyocardial administration of bFGF prevented ischemia-induced myocardial cell death and arrhythmias.