title: Felodipine reduces cardiac expression of IL-18 and perivascular fibrosis in fructose-fed rats.
abstract: Metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated macrovascular and microvascular coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, and elevated inflammatory status. To determine whether metabolic syndrome-associated elevation of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-18 (IL-18) in serum and cardiac tissue, and its potential sequelae could be attenuated pharmacologically, we studied fructose-fed rats. The fructose-fed rats exhibited increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP), body weight, heart weight, left ventricular weight, and blood insulin. Serum IL-18 levels in these rats were also elevated significantly. These changes were significantly different compared to those in control rats. Perivascular fibrosis around coronary arterioles was evident in the fructose-fed rats, accompanied by a paralleled increase in IL-18 by immunohistochemical analysis and real time polymerase chain reaction. Felodipine attenuated the increased levels in serum IL-18 and cardiac IL-18 mRNA as well as coronary perivascular fibrosis. Thus, augmented IL-18 in serum and cardiac tissue in metabolic syndrome may contribute to the coronary perivascular fibrosis; felodipine administration can attenuate the inflammatory and fibrosis process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, QiLu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Shan-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Xiu-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D015736:Felodipine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005632:Fructose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D020382:Interleukin-18; D005632:Fructose; D015736:Felodipine