Natriuretic peptide gene expression after beta-adrenergic stimulation in adult mouse cardiac myocytes.

The role of A- and B-type natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) in cardiac pathophysiology are of increasing interest. Isolated neonatal mouse cardiac myocytes express increased levels of ANP mRNA in the absence of growth factors in culture. Expression of ANP and BNP mRNA has not been studied in isolated adult mouse cardiac myocytes (AMCM).

Progressive heart failure after myocardial infarction in mice.

We tested the hypotheses that myocardial infarction in mice would lead to progressively worsening heart failure 12-18 weeks later and that exercise testing would provide a suitable means to evaluate left ventricular function sequentially. C57BL/6 mice (n = 69) underwent left coronary artery ligation (n = 50) or thoracotomy without ligation (n = 19). Sixteen animals (32%) died within 24 h of coronary ligation.