title: The effects of mycophenolate mofetil on cytokines and their receptors in pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the effects of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and the expression of cytokines and their receptors in a rat model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight healthy male inbred Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into four groups: a control group, a monocrotaline (MCT) group, an MMF20 group (MCT+20 mg/kg/day MMF), and an MMF40 group (MCT+40 mg/kg/day MMF). Systolic PAP (SPAP), the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVI), and the levels of expression of cytokines and their receptors were measured and analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SPAP, RVI, levels of expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in serum and lung homogenates, alveolar arterial wall thickness, and the number of muscular arteries in the MMF20 and MMF40 groups were decreased in comparison with the MCT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MMF inhibits the formation of vascular muscle and decreases SPAP and RVI by inhibition of the expression of bFGF, endothelin-1 (ET-1), and their receptors, resulting in the inhibition of smooth muscle proliferation and amelioration of PAH.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Rheumatology and Immunology , Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Rheumatology and Immunology , Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016686:Monocrotaline / Q000009:adverse effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019332:Endothelin-1; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D016686:Monocrotaline; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid