title: Quantitative analysis of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) expression in arteries and hearts of patients with ischaemic or dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: PPARgamma, a nuclear transcription factor, is expressed in various cells within the vasculature and in cardiomyocytes. It has been suggested that PPARgamma is involved in atherogenesis and in cardiac hypertrophy. Therefore, we sought to quantify PPARgamma mRNA in coronary arteries, the aorta and left ventricular specimens from patients with ischaemic (CHD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (CMP). Using real-time PCR, we were able to demonstrate the expression of PPARgamma in all of the human specimens. The lowest expression of PPARgamma was detected in the aorta specimens of both groups (this was set to one). In comparison, the expression in coronary arteries was 2.32-fold in CHD- and 3.78-fold in CMP specimens and in the left ventricle specimens, 2.12-fold in CHD- and 3.51-fold in CMP. Samples from CHD patients showed a higher expression of PPARgamma in all of the samples compared to those from CMP patients (aorta: 1.99-fold; coronary arteries: 1.35; left ventricles: 1.23). PPARgamma levels were not significantly correlated to CD 36 expression values in any group, suggesting that higher levels of PPARgamma are not principally due to increased PPARgamma expression in macrophages. This was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis, which showed that PPARgamma is also located in the smooth muscle layer and in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, our observations of increased PPAR mRNA expression in the coronary arteries and left ventricles from CHD and CMP patients suggest an important function of this nuclear receptor in the pathogenesis of heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, General Hospital (AKH), Währinger Gürtel 18-20, Vienna 1090, Austria.
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mehrabi
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haslmayer
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humpeler
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strauss-Blasche
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marktl
authors.forename: Forouzan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tamaddon
authors.forename: Nermin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Serbecic
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wieselthaler
authors.forename: Theresia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thalhammer
authors.forename: Helmut D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Glogar
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ekmekcioglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism; D018955:CD36 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018955:CD36 Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors