title: Myocardial cytokine expression in dogs with systemic and naturally occurring cardiac diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare myocardial cytokine expression in dogs with naturally occurring cardiac or systemic diseases and dogs without cardiac or systemic diseases (control dogs)
  
  
  METHODS
  Myocardial tissue samples from 7 systemic disease-affected dogs (SDDs), 7 cardiac disease-affected dogs (CDDs), and 8 control dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, and growth differentiation factor-15 in myocardial tissue samples obtained from CDDs, SDDs, and control dogs were analyzed via quantitative PCR assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In control dogs, only mRNA for TNF-α, TGF-β1, and TGF-β3 was detected; concentrations were significantly higher in male than in female dogs. In SDDs and CDDs, all cytokines, growth factors, and growth differentiation factor-15 were expressed. Compared with findings in SDDs, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ expression was significantly increased in CDDs; specifically, IL-1, IL-8, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and TGF-β3 expression was increased in the atria and IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ expression was increased in the ventricles of CDDs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data suggested that the alterations in cytokine expression in SDDs and CDDs, compared with control dog findings, were a result of inflammatory system activation. The differences in cytokine expression in atria and ventricles between SDDs and CDDs were suggestive of different remodeling processes. A better knowledge of myocardial involvement in SDDs and of immune regulation in CDDs might beneficially affect morbidity and mortality rates and provide new treatment approaches.
authors: Small Animal Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, England. sonjafonfara@googlemail.com
authors: Sonja
authors: S
authors: Fonfara
authors: Udo
authors: U
authors: Hetzel
authors: Simon R
authors: SR
authors: Tew
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Cripps
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Dukes-McEwan
authors: Peter D
authors: PD
authors: Clegg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger