CXCL12 and infarction: For example, SDF-1α has been delivered by intracardiac injection immediately after AMI in mice and demonstrated activation of Akt within endothelial cells and cardiac myocytes, associated with improved cardiac function up to 28 days after infarction, increased VEGF, increased angiogenesis and reduced infarct size (Sasaki et al., 2007, Saxena et al., 2008).