Endogenous progenitors as the source of cell material for ischemic damage repair in experimental myocardial infarction under conditions of changed concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor.

We studied the effect of VEGF-A in experimental myocardial infarction on attraction of progenitor cells into the regeneration zone. The appearance of CD34(+)CD45(+) cells known as low-differentiated progenitor cells was observed in the damaged myocardial tissue in the presence of a considerable excess of VEGF-A. These cells can act as precursors of mesenchymal tissues depending on the direction of differentiation.