1. An isolated peptide consisting of any one of the following amino acid sequence (A) to (D):
(A) the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO: 2;
(B) the amino acid sequence shown by position 1 to 20 of SEQ ID NO: 2;
(C) the amino acid sequence shown by position 5 to 24 of SEQ ID NO: 2; and
(D) the amino acid sequence shown by position 2 to 13 of SEQ ID NO: 2.
2. A fusion peptide comprising the peptide according to claim 1 and a marker protein, a peptide tag or a combination thereof.
3. A method for screening a cardioinhibitory factor or hypotensive factor, comprising the steps of administering an effective amount of the peptide according to claim 1 and a test substance to a non-human test animal, measuring a level of cardioinhibitory activity or hypotensive activity, and estimating the test substance as a cardioinhibitory factor in case that cardioinhibitory activity is higher when administering said peptide and said test substance than when administering the same amount of said peptide only, or estimating the test substance as a hypotensive factor in case that hypotensive activity is higher when administering said peptide and said test substance than when administering the same amount of said peptide only.
4. A method for screening an inhibitor of cardioinhibitory activity or an inhibitor of hypotensive activity, comprising the steps of administering an effective amount of the peptide according to claim 1 and a test substance to a non-human test animal, measuring a level of cardioinhibitory or hypotensive activity, and estimating the test substance as an inhibitor of cardioinhibitory activity in case that cardioinhibitory activity is lower when administering said peptide and said test substance than when administering the same amount of said peptide only, or estimating the test substance as an inhibitor of hypotensive activity in case that hypotensive activity is lower when administering the same amount of said peptide and said test substance than when administering said peptide only.
5. A cardioinhibitoryhypotensive agent comprising the peptide according to claim 1 as an active ingredient.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of promoting angiogenesis in ischemic tissue comprising the steps of:
providing at least one flexible implant having first and second configurations and configured to move between the first and second configurations under the influence of the movement of surrounding tissue and defining a volume, at least while in the first configuration, that is in fluid communication with the surrounding tissue;
implanting at least one implant in an area of ischemic tissue.
2. A method of promoting angiogenesis as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of associating an angiogenic substance with the implant prior to implantation.
3. A method of promoting angiogenesis as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of associating an angiogenic substance with the implant after implantation.
4. A method of promoting angiogenesis as defined in claim 1 where the implant is delivered to an implant site percutaneously through a delivery catheter.
5. A method of promoting angiogenesis as defined in claim 1 wherein the tissue is myocardial tissue of the heart and the implants are implanted in the myocardium.
6. A method as defined in claim 5 wherein the implants are implanted entirely and only within the myocardium.
7. A method as defined in claim 5 wherein one or more implants are implanted in the myocardium such that a portion of each implant is substantially flush with the endocardial surface.
8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the implants are in fluid communication with the left ventricle.
9-13. (Canceled)
14. A method of promoting angiogenesis in the myocardium, comprising: generating thrombus in the myocardium to stimulate angiogenesis by placing at least one implant in the myocardium, wherein the implant is placed closer to the endocardium than to the epicardium.
15-18. (Canceled)