Testosterone replacement therapy promotes angiogenesis after acute myocardial infarction by enhancing expression of cytokines HIF-1a, SDF-1a and VEGF

In order to investigate the effects of testosterone-replacement therapy on peripheral blood stem cells and angiogenesis after acute myocardial infarction, a castrated rat acute myocardial infarction model was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary followed by treatment with testosterone. CD34+ cells in myocardium and in peripheral blood after 1 and 3 days were measured by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, respectively. In the early phase of acute myocardial infarction, the expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1a (HIF-1a), stromal cell-derived factor 1a (SDF-1a) and vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) in ischemic myocardium were determined by real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Infarct size, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, capillary density and cardiac function were assessed after 28 days. These results showed that the number of CD34+ cells in the peripheral blood and in myocardium was significantly decreased in castrated rats, and the early expression levels of HIF-1a, SDF-1a and VEGF in the myocardium were also decreased. Furthermore, reduced capillary density, worsened cardiac function, increased infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis at 28 days post-infarction were found in castrated rats. But these adverse effects could be reversed by testosterone-replacement therapy. These findings suggested that testosterone can increase the mobilization and homing of CD34+ cells into the ischemic myocardium and further promote neoangiogenesis after myocardial infarction. The pro-angiogenesis effect of testosterone-replacement therapy is associated with the enhanced expression of HIF-1a, SDF-1a and VEGF in myocardium after myocardial infarction.