Inhibitory effects of local transfection of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 gene on intimal hyperplasia of artery in rabbits after operation injury

AIM: To observe the effects of local transfection of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) gene on inhibiting intimal hyperplasia and restenosis of artery in rabbits after operation injury, and its possible mechanisms. METHODS: Microsurgery injury was used to establish the intimal injury model of right external iliac artery in rabbits. 105 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (35 rabbits in each group). Group A was physiological saline control group, group B was pBudCE4.1-transfected group, group C was pBudCE4.1/VEGF165-transfected group. The physiological saline, pBudCE4.1 and pBudCE4.1/VEGF165 transfection solutions were injected into injured vessel walls of above-mentioned groups. The injured vascular specimen was harvested for pathologic examination, electric microscope observation, RT-PCR examining and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Rabbit intimal thickness and area of vessel walls in group C at every time point after operation were significantly less than those in group A and group B (P<0.01). The stenosis ratio of vessels in group C at 28 days after operation decreased by 51.6% and 49.8%, respectively, as compared with groups A and B. The expression of VEGF165 mRNA and VEGF165 positive cells in Group C were increased significantly than those in group A and B at every time point after operation (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Local transfection of VEGF165 gene restrains intimal hyperplasia and restenosis of vessels, which lays a foundation for future gene therapy of vascular intimal hyperplasia.