Congestive heart failure is one of the leading causes of disability in long-term survivors of
cancer. The
anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin (DOX) is used to treat a variety of
cancers, but its utility is limited by its cumulative
cardiotoxicity. As advances in
cancer treatment have decreased
cancer mortality, DOX-induced
cardiomyopathy has become an increasing problem. However, the current means to alleviate the
cardiotoxicity of DOX are limited. We considered that
vascular endothelial growth factor-B (
VEGF-B), which promotes coronary arteriogenesis, physiological
cardiac hypertrophy, and
ischemia resistance, could be an interesting candidate for prevention of DOX-induced
cardiotoxicity and
congestive heart failure. To study this, we administered an adeno-associated viral vector expressing
VEGF-B or control vector to normal and
tumor-bearing mice 1 wk before DOX treatment, using doses mimicking the concentrations used in the clinics.
VEGF-B treatment completely inhibited the DOX-induced cardiac
atrophy and whole-body wasting.
VEGF-B also prevented
capillary rarefaction in the heart and improved endothelial function in DOX-treated mice.
VEGF-B also protected cultured endothelial cells from apoptosis and restored their tube formation.
VEGF-B increased left ventricular volume without compromising cardiac function, reduced the expression of genes associated with pathological remodeling, and improved cardiac mitochondrial respiration. Importantly,
VEGF-B did not affect serum or tissue concentrations of DOX or augment
tumor growth. By inhibiting DOX-induced endothelial damage,
VEGF-B could provide a novel therapeutic possibility for the prevention of
chemotherapy-associated
cardiotoxicity in
cancer patients.