title: Associations between endothelin-1 and adiponectin in chronic heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endothelin-1 (ET-1) induces cardiac hypertrophy, whereas adiponectin may elicit protective effects in the vasculature and myocardium. We therefore evaluated the relationship between plasma ET-1 and adiponectin levels in heart failure (HF) patients, and the association between adiponectin expression and ET-1-induced hypertrophy of human cardiomyocytes (HCM) in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventeen patients with chronic HF were enrolled into this study. A group of 7 patients with end-stage HF undergoing heart transplantation was included in the histopathological study. Baseline clinical evaluations and laboratory measurements were performed. HCM cultures were studied to investigate the effect of ET-1 on cell size and adiponectin expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma ET-1, adiponectin, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) increased with the severity of HF. Higher New York Heart Association functional class, plasma ET-1, adiponectin, and NT-proBNP levels were significant predictors of adverse outcomes in these patients. The myocardial expression of adiponectin was significantly higher in the recipient hearts of patients undergoing emergency or urgent heart transplantation. In cell culture, ET-1 significantly increased cell size and adiponectin expression in HCM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adiponectin was significantly elevated in HF and was significantly associated with ET-1. The study provides a basis for further investigation of ET-1 and adiponectin modulation as a therapeutic strategy for ventricular remodeling in HF.
authors.affiliation: Heart Center, Cheng-Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Wei-Hsian
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yung-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hsu-Lung
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Jen
authors.forename: Wen-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Mason Shing
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Der-Cherng
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Po-Len
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000378:metabolism; D048429:Cell Size; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D019332:Endothelin-1; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain