title: Expression of ghrelin and insulin-like growth factor-1 in immature piglet model of chronic cyanotic congenital heart defects with decreased pulmonary blood flow.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cyanotic patients have potential growth retardation and malnutrition due to hypoxemia and other reasons. Ghrelin is a novel endogenous growth hormone secretagogue that has effects on growth and cardiovascular activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma level and myocardial expression of ghrelin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) using an immature piglet model of chronic cyanotic congenital heart defects with decreased pulmonary blood flow.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve weanling Chinese piglets underwent procedures of main pulmonary artery-left atrium shunt with pulmonary artery banding or sham operation as control. Four weeks later, hemodynamic parameters were measured. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for plasma ghrelin and IGF-1 level measurement were performed. Ventricular ghrelin and IGF-1 mRNA expressions were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four weeks after surgical procedure, the cyanotic model produced lower arterial oxygen tension ((68.73 ± 15.09) mmHg), arterial oxygen saturation ((82.35 ± 8.63)%), and higher arterial carbon dioxide tension ((51.83 ± 6.12) mmHg), hematocrit ((42.67 ± 3.83)%) and hemoglobin concentration ((138.17 ± 16.73) g/L) than the control piglets ((194.08 ± 98.79) mmHg, (96.43 ± 7.91)%, (36.9 ± 4.73) mmHg, (31.17 ± 3.71)%, (109.83 ± 13.75) g/L) (all P < 0.05). Plasma ghrelin level was significantly higher in the cyanotic model group in comparison to the control (P = 0.004), and the plasma IGF-1 level was significantly lower than control (P = 0.030). Compared with control animals, the expression of ghrelin mRNAs in the ventricular myocardium was significantly decreased in the cyanotic model group (P = 0.000), and the expression of IGF-1 mRNAs was elevated (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic cyanotic congenital heart defects model was successfully established. Plasma ghrelin level and myocardial IGF-1 mRNA expression were significantly up-regulated, while plasma IGF-1 level and myocardial ghrelin mRNA expression were down-regulated in the chronic cyanotic immature piglets. The ghrelin system may be an important part of the network regulating cardiac performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Yao-bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Ai-jun
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003490:Cyanosis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I