title: Fibroblast growth factor 21 protects against cardiac hypertrophy in mice.
abstract: Fibroblast growth factor 21 is an endocrine factor, secreted mainly by the liver, that exerts metabolic actions that favour glucose metabolism. Its role in the heart is unknown. Here we show that Fgf21(-/-) mice exhibit an increased relative heart weight and develop enhanced signs of dilatation and cardiac dysfunction in response to isoproterenol infusion, indicating eccentric hypertrophy development. In addition, Fgf21(-/-) mice exhibit enhanced induction of cardiac hypertrophy markers and pro-inflammatory pathways and show greater repression of fatty acid oxidation. Most of these alterations are already present in Fgf21(-/-) neonates, and treatment with fibroblast growth factor 21 reverses them in vivo and in cultured cardiomyocytes. Moreover, fibroblast growth factor 21 is expressed in the heart and is released by cardiomyocytes. Fibroblast growth factor 21 released by cardiomyocytes protects cardiac cells against hypertrophic insults. Therefore, the heart appears to be a target of systemic, and possibly locally generated, fibroblast growth factor 21, which exerts a protective action against cardiac hypertrophy.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona and CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. aplanavila@ub.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Planavila
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Redondo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hondares
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinciguerra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Munts
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitges
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giralt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Bilsen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villarroya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D007545:Isoproterenol; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010656:Phenylephrine; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D010656:Phenylephrine; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D007545:Isoproterenol