title: Elevated endothelin-1 expression in dogs with heartworm disease.
abstract: We explored the involvement of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathophysiology of dog dirofilariasis (heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis) by analyzing mRNA levels of preproendothelin-1 (PPET-1), the precursor form of ET-1, in cardiopulmonary organs as well as ET-1 peptide levels in plasma. To determine the cDNA sequence and primary protein structure of dog PPET-1, we performed molecular cloning of the full-length cDNA. Based on the determined sequence information, comparative expression analysis of PPET-1 mRNA was carried out by real-time polymerase chain reaction on cardiopulmonary organs from healthy (n=5) and filarial (n=5) dogs. Filarial dogs showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher mRNA expression level in the heart (about one hundred times) and lung (about ten times) than healthy dogs. Analysis of plasma ET-1 levels in healthy (n=10) and filarial (n=10) dogs showed that filarial dogs (6.9+/-2.7 pg/ml) have significantly (p<0.01) increased plasma ET-1 levels compared with healthy dogs (1.4+/-0.3 pg/ml). To assess the pathophysiological significance of ET-1 in dirofilariasis relative to other cardiopulmonary disorders, plasma ET-1 levels determined in dogs diagnosed with mitral regurgitation (n=10), tricuspid regurgitation (n=5), ventricular septal defect (n=5), and patent ductus arteriosus (n=5) were compared to plasma ET-1 levels in filarial dogs. Filarial dogs, which commonly develop serious pulmonary hypertension, exhibited by far the highest ET-1 levels of the disease states examined. Based on the fact that ET-1 is a potent bioactive mediator that induces vasoconstriction and promotes vascular remodeling, these findings suggest that ET-1 plays an important role in the pathophysiology of dog dirofilariasis as an aggravating factor by inducing pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchide
authors.forename: Kaname
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saida
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004285:Dogs; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019332:Endothelin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger