title: [Expression of focal adhesion kinase in cardiac myocytes of hypertrophic ventricle].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy induced by hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using immunofluorescent labeling, confocal microscopy and Western blotting, the expression and subcellular localization of FAK in the cardiac myocytes of left ventricle were determined in 2, 6, 12, and 18 month-old rats with spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) along with age-matched control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference of FAK expression between 2 month-old SHHF and WKY rats (50.5+/-6.9 vs. 49.8+/-5.0, n=6, P>0.05). In contrast with the control groups, the expression of FAK significantly increased in 6, 12 and 18 month-old SHHF rats (130.6+/-3.0 vs. 47.3+/-1.3, 144.7+/-5.4 vs. 46.4+/-3.1, 141.4+/-9.8 vs. 48.5+/-2.2, each groups n=6, P<0.05) with FAK protein primarily cumulated in the intercalated disks and nuclei.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FAK may play a role in the cell signaling transduction leading to cardiac hypertrophy, presumably through regulations of hypertrophic gene transcription and RNA processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China.
authors.forename: Zhan-yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xian-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Fa-qian
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-ying
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wan-wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yan-xuan
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao-hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ya-nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; C496052:Ptk2 protein, rat