The relationship between hepatocyte growth factor and cardiac fibrosis during the left ventricular remodeling of SHR

AIM:To evaluate the relationship between hepatocyte growth factor(HGF)and cardiac fibrosis during the left ventricular remodeling in SHR. METHODS:The blood samples and the heart speciments from 6,14,24 weeks old SHRs and age-matched Wistar-kyoto rats(WKY) were studied. Each group is six. Systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. The plasma and myocardium HGF were determined by ELISA. The collagen volume fraction(CVF) and perivascular circumferential area(PVCA) were measured by pathological examination. RESULTS:① The systolic blood pressure, left ventricular weight index and plasma HGF concentration were higher significantly in SHRs of three age-groups than WKY rats in age matched groups, but myocardium HGF concentration was significantly decreased in SHRs as compared with WKYs at 14 and 24 weeks of age, when the hearts showed hypertrophic changes induced by hypertension. ② Compared with WKYs in age-matched groups, CVF and PVCA were increased significantly in SHRs of three age-groups, but significantly differences of CVF was found at 14 and 24 weeks; and PVCA showed differences at each stage. ③ Tissue HGF showed significantly correlation with PVCA and CVF(r-0.4245,P0.05; r-0.4749,P0.05). CONCLUSION:The lowing tissue HGF is related to cardiac fibrosis in the development of cardiac remodeling due to its antifibrotic action reducing.