BACKGROUND: Previous experiments have shown that the thermosensitive hydrogel is safe, nontoxic, biocompatible, and has a certain cardioprotective effect, which can be used as a drug carrier injected into the myocardial tissue, in order to avoid adverse reactions produced by systemic administration.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of thermosensitive hydrogel with Aliskrien on heart function, apoptosis and ventricular remodeling of rats with acute myocardial infarction.
METHODS: Totally 70 Wistar rats were randomized into sham group (n=10), PBS group (n=15), PBS+Aliskrien group (n=15), hydrogel group (n=15), hydrogel+Aliskrien group (n=15). Models of acute myocardial infarction were established in the latter four groups. After modeling, PBS, PBS with Aliskrien, hydrogel, and hydrogel with Aliskrien were respectively injected into the border of infracted myocardium. After 28 days, relevant measurements were performed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the sham group, the heart function and expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 were decreased significantly in the other four groups (P < 0.05), while the number of apoptotic cells, matrix metalloproteinase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, transforming growth factor β, collagen type I and III were increased (P < 0.05). The levels of angiotensin I and angiotensin II were higher in the PBS, PBS+Aliskrien, hydrogel groups than the sham group (P < 0.05), while they were decreased in the hydrogel+
Aliskrien group than the sham group (P < 0.05). The level of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and heart function in the hydrogel+Aliskrien group were superior to those in the PBS, PBS+Aliskrien, and hydrogel groups (P < 0.05), while the number of apoptotic cells, the levels of metalloproteinase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, transforming growth factor β, collagen type I and III were lower than those in the PBS, PBS+Aliskrien, and hydrogel groups (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that as a new type of sustained-release formulation, thermosensitive hydroge with Aliskrien could further improve the heart function, decrease cell apoptosis and inhibit myocardial fibrosis, and delay ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction.