Zoledronic acid decreases gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor by human epithelial cells.

Delayed wound healing in patients taking bisphosphonates could result from decreased expression of growth factors, which are directly related to cell proliferation and migration. In this study, we evaluated the gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) by epithelial cells exposed to zoledronic acid 5 μmol for 48 h using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The gene expression of VEGF and bFGF by epithelial cells exposed to zoledronic acid decreased by 34% and 51%, respectively (p=0.0001 and p=0.0001). We conclude that zoledronic acid can decrease the expression of growth factors by epithelial cells.