[Expression of cardiotrophin-1 and effects of irbesartan in adriamycin induced cardiomyopathy in rats].

Objective To investigate cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) expression in the ventricle and the effects of angiotensin II type I receptor antagonist (AT1RA) irbesartan on the ventricular remodeling in adriamycin myocardiopathy. Methods Thirty male SD rats were randomized into 2 groups: a control group (n=10) and a model group (n=20). The model group was administered adriamycin and 18 rats survived. And theses rats were randomized again into 2 groups. One was treated with irbesartan [50 mg/(kg·d), with stomach-tube], and the other received equal saline, so did the control group. After 12 weeks, the protein level of CT-1 was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Ventricular CT-1 in the model control group and the treatment group was higher than that in the control group,and the correlation analysis showed that ventricular CT-1 of the model control group was positively correlated with the left ventricular weight index, and CT-1 of the treatment group was lower than that of the model control group. Conclusion CT-1 was assumed to take part in the ventricular remodeling. The mechanism of irbesartan on the ventricular remodeling may be related to the downregulation of CT-1 expression.