Lnc PVT1 facilitates TGF-β1-induced human cardiac fibroblast activation in vitro and ISO-induced myocardial fibrosis in vivo through regulating MYC.

Cardiac fibrosis is a commonly seen pathophysiological process in various cardiovascular disorders, such as coronary heart disorder, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy. Cardiac fibroblast trans-differentiation into myofibroblasts (MFs) is a key link in myocardial fibrosis. LncRNA PVT1 participates in fibrotic diseases in multiple organs; however, its role and mechanism in cardiac fibrosis remain largely unknown.

Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 protects against cardiac hypertrophy via SHP-2-dependent inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a complex pathological process, and the molecular mechanisms underlying hypertrophic remodeling have not been clearly elucidated. Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 (lilrb4) is an inhibitory transmembrane protein that is necessary for the regulation of various cellular signaling pathways. To investigate whether lilrb4 plays a role in cardiac hypertrophy, we performed aortic banding in lilrb4 knockout mice, lilrb4 cardiac-specific transgenic mice, and their wild-type littermates.

Role of adiponectin in diabetes myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and ischemic postconditioning.

Purpose: Patients with diabetes are vulnerable to myocardial I/R (ischaemia/reperfusion) injury, but are not responsive to IPO (ischaemic post-conditioning). We hypothesized that decreased cardiac Adiponectin (APN) is responsible for the loss of diabetic heart sensitivity to IPO cardioprotecton.

Methods: Diabetic rats were subjected to I/R injury (30 min of LAD occlusion followed by 120 min of reperfusion).

Geniposide protects against sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction through AMPKα-dependent pathway.

Uncontrolled inflammatory response and subsequent cardiomyocytes loss (apoptosis and pyroptosis) are closely involved in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction. Our previous study has found that geniposide (GE) can protect the murine hearts against obesity-induced inflammation. However, the effect of GE on sepsis-related cardiac dysfunction is still unknown.

Protective role of berberine in isoprenaline-induced cardiac fibrosis in rats.

Background: Cardiac fibrosis is a crucial aspect of cardiac remodeling that can severely affect cardiac function. Cardiac fibroblasts surely influence this process. Besides, macrophage plays an essential role in cardiac remodeling after heart injury.

Mnk1 (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Interacting Kinase 1) Deficiency Aggravates Cardiac Remodeling in Mice.

Identifying the key factor involved in cardiac remodeling is critically important for developing novel strategies to protect against heart failure. Here, the role of Mnk1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase-interacting kinase 1) in cardiac remodeling was clarified. Cardiac remodeling was induced by transverse aortic constriction in Mnk1-knockout mice and their wild-type control mice.

Shensongyangxin protects against pressure overload‑induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Shensongyangxin (SSYX) is a medicinal herb, which has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Various pharmacological activities of SSYX have been identified. However, the role of SSYX in cardiac hypertrophy remains to be fully elucidated.

Prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement in dilated cardiomyopathy patients. A meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients.

Methods: We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, the Cochrane library and EMBASE databases from September to December 2012 in the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China for studies of LGE in DCM patients. We extracted the clinical outcomes (all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, sudden cardiac death [SCD], aborted SCD, heart failure hospitalization) after carefully reviewed.

IKKi deficiency promotes pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.

The inducible IκB kinase (IKKi/IKKε) is a recently described serine-threonine IKK-related kinase. Previous studies have reported the role of IKKi in infectious diseases and cancer. However, its role in the cardiac response to pressure overload remains elusive.

Stem cell antigen 1 protects against cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis after pressure overload.

Stem cell antigen (Sca) 1, a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein localized to lipid rafts, is upregulated in the heart during myocardial infarction and renovascular hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy. It has been suggested that Sca-1 plays an important role in myocardial infarction. To investigate the role of Sca-1 in cardiac hypertrophy, we performed aortic banding in Sca-1 cardiac-specific transgenic mice, Sca-1 knockout mice, and their wild-type littermates.

Activating transcription factor 3 deficiency promotes cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction, and fibrosis induced by pressure overload.

Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), which is encoded by an adaptive-response gene induced by various stimuli, plays an important role in the cardiovascular system. However, the effect of ATF3 on cardiac hypertrophy induced by a pathological stimulus has not been determined. Here, we investigated the effects of ATF3 deficiency on cardiac hypertrophy using in vitro and in vivo models.

[Relationship among heart rate turbulence, QT dispersion and heart function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].

Objective: To explore the relationship among heart rate turbulence (HRT), QT dispersion (QTd) and heart function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and assess its clinical value.

Methods: A total of 81 DCM patients with ventricular premature contraction (VPC) were divided into two groups according to heart function: Group A (NYHA class I-II, n=34) and Group B (NYHA class III-IV, n=47). Thirty out-patient control cases were chosen from those undergoing regular physical examination.

Tetrandrine blocks cardiac hypertrophy by disrupting reactive oxygen species-dependent ERK1/2 signalling.

Background And Purpose: Tetrandrine, a well-known naturally occurring calcium antagonist with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-fibrogenetic activities, has long been used clinically for treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and arrhythmia. However, little is known about the effect of tetrandrine on cardiac hypertrophy. The aims of the present study were to determine whether tetrandrine could attenuate cardiac hypertrophy and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms.

LIM and cysteine-rich domains 1 regulates cardiac hypertrophy by targeting calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells signaling.

LIM domain proteins are important regulators in cell growth, cell fate determination, cell differentiation, and remodeling of the cell cytoskeleton. LIM and cysteine-rich domains 1 (Lmcd1) is a novel protein that contain 2 LIM domains with regular spacing in the carboxy-terminal region. However, its roles in cardiac growth remain unknown.

Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes attenuates cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.

Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein of 220 amino acids. It has been proposed that CREG acts as a ligand that enhances differentiation and/or reduces cell proliferation. CREG has been shown previously to attenuate cardiac hypertrophy in vitro.

Crocetin protects against cardiac hypertrophy by blocking MEK-ERK1/2 signalling pathway.

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the progression of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Because crocetin represses oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo, we have suggested that crocetin would repress cardiac hypertrophy by targeting oxidative stress-dependent signalling. We tested this hypothesis using primary cultured cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts and one well-established animal model of cardiac hypertrophy.

Targeted expression of receptor-associated late transducer inhibits maladaptive hypertrophy via blocking epidermal growth factor receptor signaling.

Receptor-associated late transducer (RALT) is a feedback inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling. RALT has been shown previously to be induced in the ischemic heart and to promote cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro. However, the role of RALT in cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear.