Source: American College of Cardiology
Posted: April 14, 2006
A new study suggests that higher levels of Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), a natural substance in the body that plays a role in the growth of new blood vessels, may help reduce damage to the heart muscle.
Previous studies have shown that Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) enhances angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in ischemic tissue. It also appears to promote mobilization of flt-1-positive hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow to the peripheral circulation.
The researchers also performed an experiment on laboratory mice. They found that in mice that underwent a procedure that interrupted coronary blood flow, similar to what happens during a heart attack, PlGF levels shot up to 23 times the levels seen in control mice.
Researchers conjectured that PlGF has potential to enhance tissue repair after acute myocardial infarction.
Commentary: Hopefully this treatment can be applied to humans to treat heartt attack patients in the future.
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