Thymosin beta4 is an essential paracrine factor of embryonic endothelial progenitor cell-mediated cardioprotection.

Hinkel R, El-Aouni C, Olson T, Horstkotte J, Mayer S, Müller S, Willhauck M, Spitzweg C, Gildehaus FJ, Münzing W, Hannappel E, Bock-Marquette I and 4 more

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DiMaio JM, Hatzopoulos AK, Boekstegers P, Kupatt C

Circulation21 Apr 2008Cited by 129 (Europe PMC)

PMID18427126PMCIDPMC2672916DOI10.1161/circulationaha.107.758904PepBankPUB-18427126

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Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study7

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In pigs with ischemia-reperfusion injury, retroinfusion of thymosin beta4 mimicked embryonic endothelial progenitor cell treatment and gave an infarct size of 37% versus 54% in controls.
In plain wordsIn pigs, thymosin beta4 given into a heart vein gave a smaller infarct than in control pigs, like the cell treatment did.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
DecreaseInfarct size after Tbeta4 retroinfusion
Study
pign = 9
pigs with 60 minute LAD occlusion
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Heart function · Cardiovascular
Studied dose
15 mg · retroinfusion into the anterior interventricular veinAs given in this study (pig).
Measurements
Infarct size
37%
Tbeta4 retroinfusion
Infarct size
54%
Controls
Source sentences
Summary
Retroinfusion of Tbeta4 mimicked eEPC application (infarct size, 37+/-3%; segmental endocardial shortening, 34+/-7%).
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In vivo, infarct size decreased with eEPC application (38+/-4% versus 54+/-4% of area at risk; P<0.01), an effect abolished by Tbeta4 shRNA (62+/-3%).
Summary · context
In vivo, pigs (n=9 per group) underwent percutaneous left anterior descending artery occlusion for 60 minutes on day 1.
Report a problemFND-1842712601
02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In pigs with ischemia-reperfusion injury, retroinfusion of thymosin beta4 mimicked embryonic endothelial progenitor cell treatment and gave a segmental endocardial shortening of 34%.
In plain wordsIn pigs, thymosin beta4 given into a heart vein improved heart wall movement in the injured area, like the cell treatment.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseSegmental endocardial shortening after Tbeta4 retroinfusion
Study
pign = 9
pigs with 60 minute LAD occlusion
Outcome group
Heart function · Cardiovascular
Studied dose
15 mg · retroinfusion into the anterior interventricular veinAs given in this study (pig).
Measurements
Segmental endocardial shortening
34%
Tbeta4 retroinfusion
Source sentences
Summary
Retroinfusion of Tbeta4 mimicked eEPC application (infarct size, 37+/-3%; segmental endocardial shortening, 34+/-7%).
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Segmental subendocardial shortening improved after eEPC treatment (22+/-3% versus -3+/-4% of control area) unless Tbeta4 shRNA was transfected (-6+/-4%).
Summary · context
In vivo, pigs (n=9 per group) underwent percutaneous left anterior descending artery occlusion for 60 minutes on day 1.
Report a problemFND-1842712602
03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In pigs with ischemia-reperfusion injury, thymosin beta4 alone decreased myeloperoxidase activity compared with controls.
In plain wordsIn pigs, thymosin beta4 alone lowered a marker of inflammatory cells in the heart compared with controls.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
DecreaseMyeloperoxidase activity after Tbeta4 retroinfusion
Study
pign = 9
pigs with 60 minute LAD occlusion
Comparator
Controls
Outcome group
Inflammation markers · Cardiovascular
Studied dose
15 mg · retroinfusion into the anterior interventricular veinAs given in this study (pig).
Measurements
Myeloperoxidase activity
1455 U/mg
Tbeta4 alone
Myeloperoxidase activity
3323 U/mg
controls
Source sentences
Summary
Myeloperoxidase activity (3323+/-388 U/mg in controls) was decreased by eEPCs (1996+/-546 U/mg) or Tbeta4 alone (1455+/-197 U/mg)
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In vivo, pigs (n=9 per group) underwent percutaneous left anterior descending artery occlusion for 60 minutes on day 1.
Report a problemFND-1842712603

Studies that did not test the peptide alone4

In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).

04AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In pigs, Tbeta4 shRNA abolished the infarct size reduction produced by embryonic endothelial progenitor cells.
In plain wordsIn pigs, blocking thymosin beta4 in the treatment cells removed their ability to shrink the infarct.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseInfarct size with eEPCs and Tbeta4 shRNA
Study
pign = 9
pigs with 60 minute LAD occlusion
Comparator
Control eEPCs
Outcome group
Heart function · Cardiovascular
Measurements
Infarct size
62%
eEPCs with Tbeta4 shRNA
Infarct size
38%
eEPCs
Infarct size
54%
control
Source sentences
Summary
In vivo, infarct size decreased with eEPC application (38+/-4% versus 54+/-4% of area at risk; P<0.01), an effect abolished by Tbeta4 shRNA (62+/-3%).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In vivo, pigs (n=9 per group) underwent percutaneous left anterior descending artery occlusion for 60 minutes on day 1.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-1842712604
05AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In pigs, Tbeta4 shRNA removed the improvement in segmental subendocardial shortening produced by embryonic endothelial progenitor cells.
In plain wordsIn pigs, blocking thymosin beta4 in the treatment cells removed their benefit for heart wall movement.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
DecreaseSegmental subendocardial shortening with eEPCs and Tbeta4 shRNA
Study
pign = 9
pigs with 60 minute LAD occlusion
Comparator
Control eEPCs
Outcome group
Heart function · Cardiovascular
Source sentences
Summary
Segmental subendocardial shortening improved after eEPC treatment (22+/-3% versus -3+/-4% of control area) unless Tbeta4 shRNA was transfected (-6+/-4%).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In vivo, pigs (n=9 per group) underwent percutaneous left anterior descending artery occlusion for 60 minutes on day 1.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-1842712605
06AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In pigs, myeloperoxidase activity was not decreased by embryonic endothelial progenitor cells treated with Tbeta4 shRNA.
In plain wordsIn pigs, treatment cells with thymosin beta4 blocked did not lower the inflammatory cell marker.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseMyeloperoxidase activity with eEPCs and Tbeta4 shRNA
Study
pign = 9
pigs with 60 minute LAD occlusion
Comparator
Control eEPCs
Outcome group
Inflammation markers · Cardiovascular
Measurements
Myeloperoxidase activity
5449 U/mg
eEPCs with Tbeta4 shRNA
Source sentences
Summary
Myeloperoxidase activity (3323+/-388 U/mg in controls) was decreased by eEPCs (1996+/-546 U/mg) or Tbeta4 alone (1455+/-197 U/mg) but not Tbeta4 shRNA-treated eEPCs (5449+/-829 U/mg)
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In vivo, pigs (n=9 per group) underwent percutaneous left anterior descending artery occlusion for 60 minutes on day 1.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-1842712606
07LabNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneIn vitro (cells)Efficacy outcome
In neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, Tbeta4 shRNA reduced the survival benefit of embryonic endothelial progenitor cells.
In plain wordsIn rat heart cells, blocking thymosin beta4 in helper cells reduced the survival benefit they gave.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
DecreaseCardiomyocyte survival with eEPCs and Tbeta4 shRNA
Study
ratn: not reported in source
neonatal rat cardiomyocytes under hypoxia-reoxygenation
Comparator
eEPCs without shRNA
Outcome group
Heart function · Cardiovascular
Measurements
Cardiomyocyte survival
32%
without eEPCs
Cardiomyocyte survival
90%
with eEPCs
Cardiomyocyte survival
45%
with Tbeta4 shRNA
Source sentences
Summary
Survival of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes increased from 32+/-4% to 90+/-2% after eEPC application, an effect sensitive to shRNA transfection compared with Tbeta4 (45+/-7%).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In vitro, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation in the absence or presence of eEPCs with or without Tbeta4 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) transfection.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-1842712607

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
13 Oct 2026, 01:52 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
12 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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Thymosin beta4 is an essential paracrine factor of embryonic endothelial progenitor cell-mediated cardioprotection.

Summary

Results from this study7

Studies that did not test the peptide alone4

Version history

Subjects

Publication types

MeSH terms