Nerve growth factor promotes cardiac repair following myocardial infarction.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes angiogenesis and cardiomyocyte survival, which are both desirable for postinfarction myocardial healing. Nonetheless, the NGF potential for cardiac repair has never been investigated.

Objective

To define expression and localization of NGF and its high-affinity receptor TrkA (tropomyosin-related receptor A) in the human infarcted heart and to investigate the cardiac roles of both endogenous and engineered NGF using a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and results

Immunostaining for NGF and TrkA was performed on heart samples from humans deceased of MI or unrelated pathologies. To study the post-MI functions of endogenous NGF, a NGF-neutralizing antibody (Ab-NGF) or nonimmune IgG (control) was given to MI mice

SUBMITTER: Meloni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2881000 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature