Function and clinical use of relaxin in chronic cardiovascular and kidney disease

Fibrosis is the common character of various kinds of chronic cardiovascular and kidney diseases,including myocardial and vascular sclerosis,renal interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis,which cause dysfunction and morphological abnormality of these organs.Relaxin,a hormone recently found,has antifibrotic effect.It can down-regulate collegen production and increase collegen degradation.In addition,it also plays other roles such as increasing the organic blood supply,stimulating angiogenesis and wound healing.