Growth Factor May Prevent Stroke

A study has shown that injections of a growth factor into rat brains expanded blood vessels and improved blood flow, which may lead to a noninvasive way to prevent stroke. The findings were reported in the July 1, 2003, online issue of Circulation.

Researchers tried to induce arteriogenesis in rat brains by transforming collateral arteries that were unused and located away from the blockage into functioning blood-carrying vessels capable of taking over for the blocked vessels. They induced obstructions in the arteries that reduced blood flow and then injected them with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Treatment continued for seven or 21 days, while a second group of rats received only saline.

In saline-treated rats, the diameter of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) increased by 39% during the three weeks. In rats treated with GM-CSF, the artery increased by 72% at the end of only one week. The arteriogenesis was associated with other evidence of improved blood flow, such as the ability to increase flow in response to carbon dioxide and accumulation of macrophages.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of stimulation of arteriogenesis in the brain,” said co-lead authors Ivo R. Buschmann, M.D., and Hans-Jorg Busch, M.D. Both are investigators in the Research Group for Experimental and Clinical Arteriogenesis at Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg (Freiburg, Germany).





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