title: Lower risk of postinfarct rupture in mouse heart overexpressing beta 2-adrenergic receptors: importance of collagen content.
abstract: This paper addresses whether the enhanced left ventricular (LV) contractility and heart rate, seen in transgenic mice overexpressing beta -adrenergic receptor in the heart, might raise the incidence of LV rupture after myocardial infarct. Transgenic and wild-type mice underwent left coronary artery occlusion. Postinfarct deaths that occurred 1-7 days after surgery were analyzed. Hemodynamics, morphologic parameters, and collagen content in the LV were determined. A significantly lower incidence of LV rupture was observed in transgenic than in wild-type mice 3-5 days after myocardial infarct (2.5 versus 19.7%, p < 0.05), despite a similar infarct size between the two groups and better hemodynamic function in transgenic mouse hearts. Morphologic analysis showed a more severe infarct expansion in wild-type versus transgenic mice or in mice dying of rupture versus those that died of acute heart failure. Collagen content was higher in the LV of sham-operated transgenic than wild-type mice (p < 0.01) with both type I and type III collagen elevated. Such difference in collagen content between transgenic and wild-type mice was maintained in noninfarcted and infarcted LV. In conclusion, transgenic mice overexpressing beta -adrenergic receptor had a lower risk of cardiac rupture during the acute phase after infarction despite the markedly enhanced LV contractility and heart rate. As a hyperdynamic function due to beta-adrenergic activation would likely increase the risk of cardiac rupture and infarct expansion, the lack of rupture in this transgenic mouse model suggests that the interstitial collagen level is a more important factor than functional status in the pathogenesis of rupture and infarct expansion.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012306:Risk; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D003094:Collagen