Hepatocyte growth factor delivered by ultrasound-mediated destruction of microbubbles induces proliferation of cardiomyocytes and amelioration of left ventricular contractile function in Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy

Stem Cells. 2005 Nov-Dec;23(10):1589-97. doi: 10.1634/stemcells.2005-0049. Epub 2005 Aug 18.

Abstract

At present, there is no curative strategy for advanced cardiomyopathy except for cardiac transplantation, which is not easily performed, mainly due to a shortage of donors. It has been reported that myocardial progenitor cells exist even in the postnatal heart, suggesting that myocardial progenitor cells could proliferate under some situations and might improve cardiac function in cardiomyopathy-induced hearts. In this study, recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor (rhHGF) was delivered using ultrasound-mediated destruction of microbubbles (UMDM) into the cardiomyopathy-induced heart by doxorubicin (20 mg/kg). Intravenous injection of rhHGF (IV-rhHGF) alone or UMDM alone failed to improve the morphology or the function of the cardiomyopathy-induced heart, but (IV-rhHGF + UMDM) treatment significantly improved the heart morphologically and functionally, and repetitive treatments of (IV-rhHGF + UMDM) enhanced the effects. The number of bromodeoxy-uridine-positive cardiomyocytes significantly increased in the (IV-rhHGF + UMDM)-treated hearts compared with the untreated hearts. Moreover, Sca-1+ myocardial progenitor cells express c-Met, a receptor for HGF. These results suggest that (IV-rhHGF + UMDM) treatment could morphologically and functionally improve the heart in the case of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy through the proliferation of the myocardial progenitor cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / toxicity
  • Bone Marrow Cells / cytology
  • Cardiomyopathies / chemically induced
  • Cardiomyopathies / drug therapy*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Doxorubicin
  • Drug Administration Routes
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / administration & dosage
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / genetics
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Microbubbles
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Ventricular Function, Left / drug effects
  • Ventricular Function, Left / physiology*

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor
  • Doxorubicin