Gene transfection of hepatocyte growth factor attenuates the progression of cardiac remodeling in the hypertrophied heart.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatocyte growth factor plays a significant role in angiogenesis, anti-apoptosis, and anti-transforming growth factor-beta1-mediated fibrosis in several organs. In this study, we investigated the effect of transfection of the hepatocyte growth factor gene in attenuation of cardiac remodeling in the hypertrophied heart.


METHODS
Two weeks after banding the ascending aorta of male Sprague-Dawley rats, a hemagglutinating virus of Japan-liposome complex with (H group) or without (C group) human hepatocyte growth factor cDNA was transfected into the left ventricle wall by direct injection. The hepatocyte growth factor, c-Met, and transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA levels in the left ventricle were then analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Two weeks after transfection, the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA was significantly attenuated in the H group compared with the C group (P < .01). Myocardial collagen content after 4 weeks of banding was significantly lower in the H group (5.0 +/- 0.6 mg/g tissue) than in the C group (7.4 +/- 0.5 mg/g tissue, P < .01). Left ventricular diastolic function (E/A ratios quantified by Doppler echocardiography) showed a significant increase in the H group (1.9 +/- 0.1) compared with the C group (1.1 +/- 0.1, P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that gene transfection of hepatocyte growth factor attenuated left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis in association with a decrease in transforming growth factor-beta1 in the rat heart subjected to pressure overload. Thus, the transfection of the hepatocyte growth factor gene into the hypertrophied heart may be a strategy for the hypertrophied and failing heart even for cardiac surgery.
Iwata
Keiji
K
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery E1, School of Allied Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. iwata@surg1.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Sawa
Yoshiki
Y
Kitagawa-Sakakida
Satoru
S
Kawaguchi
Naomasa
N
Matsuura
Nariaki
N
Nakamura
Toshikazu
T
Matsuda
Hikaru
H
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014162:Transfection; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
D006133:Growth Substances; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D003094:Collagen; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met