Heat shock protein 70 expression in the brain of rats with cerebral infarction after receiving vascular endothelial growth factor 165 gene therapy.

Objective: To investigate the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the brain of rats with cerebral infarction after the administration of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) gene therapy, thereby to provide molecular basis for clinical gene therapy of cerebral infarction.

Methods: Twenty-five Wistar rats were divided equally into 5 groups, namely normal control group, sham-operated control group, middle cerebral artery occlusion group (MACO group), eukaryotic expression plasmid group (pUCCAGGS group) and gene therapy group (receiving pUCCAGGS/hVEGF165).Rat models of permanent MACO was established by ligation with nylon suture, and in the latter two groups, pUCCAGGS or pUCCAGGS/ hVEGF165 was directly injected into the infarcted area.