Mechano-growth factor reduces loss of cardiac function in acute myocardial infarction

This study evaluated the cardioprotective potential of MGF in an ovine model of acute myocardial infarction. The researchers induced myocardial ischemia by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in sheep, followed by direct administration of MGF peptide (E domain of IGF-1Ec) into the peri-infarct zone. Cardiac function was monitored by echocardiography and tissues were analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry.

The results were striking: hearts treated with MGF showed 35% less compromised myocardial tissue compared to controls. Immunostaining analysis for cleaved caspase-3 — an apoptosis marker — showed absence of apoptotic signaling in treated hearts, indicating a direct anti-apoptotic effect of MGF on at-risk cardiomyocytes.

This was one of the first studies to demonstrate that MGF can act as a cardioprotective agent in a large animal model, reducing infarct expansion and preserving ventricular function. The proposed mechanism involves direct inhibition of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, protecting viable cardiac cells in the ischemic penumbra zone. These findings opened perspectives for the therapeutic use of IGF-1-derived peptides in emergency cardiology.