title: Evaluation of H-FABP as a marker of ongoing myocardial damage using hGH transgenic mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few heart-specific and highly sensitive biomarkers of cardiac disorders in experimental animals. To evaluate ongoing myocardial damage in experimental mice, available and reliable biomarkers are needed. We investigated whether or not heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is useful as a biomarker for predicting ongoing myocardial disorders, by using CAG/EGFP-WAP/hGH transgenic male mice with heart disease induced by overexpression of human growth hormone (hGH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected from transgenic and control male mice at 8, 12, 16, and 36 weeks of age and were measured for aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and H-FABP. The hearts of the transgenic mice were examined histopathologicaly and the results were compared with those of control mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 36 weeks of age, significant increases in AST, CK, and LDH values were observed in the transgenic mice compared to the control mice. Minute histological changes along with focal and slight degeneration of cardiomyocytes were observed in the transgenic hearts at 12 weeks of age, but the only chemical value to change was that of H-FABP, which increased significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H-FABP is available as a biomarker for predicting ongoing cardiomyocyte damage in the mouse model.
authors: Laboratory of Applied Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Naraoka
authors: Kyoko
authors: K
authors: Ito
authors: Michie
authors: M
authors: Suzuki
authors: Kunihiko
authors: K
authors: Naito
authors: Hideaki
authors: H
authors: Tojo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone