Catheter-Based Intramyocardial Delivery

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is one of the major angiogenic factors being studied for the treatment of ischemic heart diseases. Our previous study demonstrated adenovirus-HGF was effective in myocardial ischemia models. The first clinical safety study showed a positive effect in patients with severe and diffused triple coronary disease. 12 Pigs were randomized (1:1) to receive HGF, which was administered as five injections into the infarcted myocardium, or saline (control group). The injections were guided by EnSite NavX left ventricular electroanatomical mapping. The catheter-based injections caused no pericardial effusion, malignant arrhythmia or death. During mapping and injection, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and creatine kinase-MB levels have no significant increase as compared to those before and after the injection in HGF group(P>0.05). HGF group has high HGF expression with Western blot, less myocardial infarct sizes by electroanatomical mapping (HGF group versus after saline group, 5.28±0.55 cm.sup.2 versus 9.06±1.06 cm.sup.2, P