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Research reports on angiogenesis from National Taiwan University provide new insights

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"Tertiary cardiac centre. 39 postinfarction patients randomised to either a 3-month training group (n=20) or a non-training group (n=19), and 19 normal controls. Cardiac rehabilitation. MBF by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and plasma levels of stem cell factor (SCF), stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) measured at enrolment and at 3 months after randomisation. At baseline, when compared with the healthy subjects, postinfarction patients had a lower MBF in the infarcted myocardium during dipyridamole-induced stress (1.65 (0.58) vs 2.77 (0.78) ml/min/g, p<0.001) but higher plasma levels of VEGF (3.65 (0.75) vs 2.77 (0.59) pg/ml, p<0.001 expressed as the natural logarithm) and SDF-1 (2113 (345) vs 1869 (309) pg/ml, p=0.009). Only SDF- 1 was inversely associated with stress MBF in both remote (r=-0.39, p=0.03) and infarcted myocardium (r=-0.62, p<0.001). After 3 months, the training group's stress MBF had increased by 33% in the remote (p <0.001) and 28% in infarcted myocardium (p=0.02), while VEGF decreased by 9% (p=0.01), and SDF-1 decreased by 11% (p=0.02). The change in SDF-1 was inversely correlated with the change in stress MBF in both remote (r=-0.40, p=0.01) and infarcted myocardium (r=-0.50, p=0.001). In the non-training group, MBF and cytokines were unchanged," wrote B.C. Lee and colleagues, National Taiwan University.

The researchers concluded: "Cardiac rehabilitation improves stress MBF in postinfarction patients, with an inverse decrease in circulating angiogenic cytokines."

Lee and colleagues published the results of their research in Heart (Effect of cardiac rehabilitation on angiogenic cytokines in postinfarction patients. Heart, 2009;95(12):1012-1018).

For additional information, contact M.F. Chen, National Taiwan University, Dept. of Internal Medical, 7 Chung Shan S Rd., Taipei 100, Taiwan.

The publisher of the journal Heart can be contacted at: B M J Publishing Group, British Med Association House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR, England.

Keywords: Taiwan, Taipei, Angiogenesis, Cardiology, Cytokines, Dipyridamole, Drugs, Magnetic Resonance, Oncology, Pharmaceuticals, Rehabilitation Research, Stem Cell Research, Therapy, Treatment, Tumor Vascularization, VEGF, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, National Taiwan University.

This article was prepared by Stem Cell Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Stem Cell Week via NewsRx.com.