title: Amlodipine and atorvastatin improved hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy through regulation of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B/osteoprotegerin system in spontaneous hypertension rats.
abstract: The present study aims to study the role of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/RANK/OPG) system in cardiac hypertrophy in a spontaneous hypertension rat (SHR) model and the effects of amlodipine and atorvastatin intervention. Thirty-six-week-old male SHRs were randomly divided into four groups: 1) SHR control group; 2) amlodipine alone (10 mg/kg/d) group, 3) atorvastatin alone (10 mg/kg/d) group, 4) combination of amlodinpine and atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d for each) group. Same gender, weight, and age of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats with normal blood pressure were used as normal control. Drugs were administered by oral gavage over 12 weeks. The thicknesses of left ventricle walls, left ventricle weight, and cardiac function were measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Left ventricular pressure and function were assessed by hemodynamic examination. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and collagen accumulation in cardiac tissue were measured by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson staining, respectively. The hydroxyproline content of cardiac tissue was examined by biochemistry technique. RANKL, RANK and OPG mRNA, protein expression and tissue localization were studied by RT-PCR, Immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Treatment with amlodipine or atorvastatin alone significantly decreased left ventricular mass index, cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and interstitial fibrosis in SHR (each P < 0.05). Moreover, combined amlodipine and atorvastatin treatment induced significant reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy and decreased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and interstitial fibrosis in SHR to a greater extent than each agent alone (P < 0.05). Compared with WKY rats, the myocardial expression of RANKL, RANK, and OPG was increased. Both amlodipine and atorvastatin reduced RANKL, RANK, and OPG expression, with the best effects seen with the combination. Based on our results, activation of the RANKL/RANK/OPG system may be an important factor leading to ventricular remodeling in SHR rats. Amlodipine and atorvastatin could improve ventricular remodeling in SHR rats through intervention with the RANKL/RANK/OPG system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China.
authors.forename: Jingchao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China.
authors.forename: Demin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China.
authors.forename: Xiuchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei 050000, China cuiwei21c@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000069059:Atorvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000032:analysis; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000378:metabolism*; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000378:metabolism*; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D016328:NF-kappa B; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; D017311:Amlodipine; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D006909:Hydroxyproline
keywords: Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B; amlodipine; atorvastatin; cardiac hypertrophy; osteoprotegerin; receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand; spontaneously hypertension