G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists are well-known inducers of cardiac hypertrophy. We found that the shedding of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) resulting from metalloproteinase activation and subsequent transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor occurred when cardiomyocytes were stimulated by GPCR agonists, leading to cardiac hypertrophy. A new inhibitor of HB-EGF shedding, KB-R7785, blocked this signaling. We cloned a disintegrin and metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12) as a specific enzyme to shed HB-EGF in the heart and found that dominant-negative expression of ADAM12 abrogated this signaling. KB-R7785 bound directly to ADAM12, suggesting that inhibition of ADAM12 blocked the shedding of HB-EGF. In mice with cardiac hypertrophy, KB-R7785 inhibited the shedding of HB-EGF and attenuated hypertrophic changes. These data suggest that shedding of HB-EGF by ADAM12 plays an important role in cardiac hypertrophy, and that inhibition of HB-EGF shedding could be a potent therapeutic strategy for cardiac hypertrophy.

Emotional stress triggers takotsubo cardiomyopathy in postmenopausal women. Clinical analysis of autonomic nervous function has revealed a transient increase of sympathetic nervous activity and decrease of vagal nervous activity. Immobilization (IMO) stress of rats can reproduce the electrocardiographic and left ventriculographic changes that occur in takotsubo cardiomyopathy, both of which are prevented by combined blockade of alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. Estrogen supplementation partially attenuated these cardiac changes. It also attenuated the IMO-induced increase of c-Fos immunoreactivity, or c-fos mRNA expression in the lateral septum, medial amygdaloid nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, and locus ceruleus; these regions contain central sympathetic neurons and neurons with immunoreactive estrogen receptors. It also downregulated c-fos mRNA expression in the adrenal gland and the heart, suggesting an increase of estrogen attenuated the stress-induced hypothalamo-sympathoadrenal outflow from the central nervous system to the target organs. Estrogen treatment also upregulated the levels of cardioprotective substances, such as atrial natriuretic peptide and heat shock protein 70, in the heart. These data suggest that reduction of estrogen levels following menopause might be involved in the primary cause of takotsubo cardiomyopathy both by indirect action on the nervous system and by direct action on the heart.

.-We characterized the time course of the left ventricular (LV) geometric and functional changes after aortic banding, validated them by necropsy, and investigated the sensitivity of echocardiographic findings on LV hypertrophy. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) or sham operation; echocardiographic assessments were performed before or at 2, 4, 6, and 11 wk after surgery; and some of the mice were euthanized at the corresponding time points. There was a progressive increase in diastolic posterior wall thickness and LV systolic dimension; the percentage of LV fractional shortening (LV%FS) decreased progressively at 4 wk, whereas these parameters remained stable in sham-operated mice. Echo LV mass and LV%FS correlated well with actual whole heart mass and ratio of lung weight to body weight, respectively (r ϭ 0.765 and Ϫ0.749, respectively; P Ͻ 0.0001). These results suggest that the development of myocardial hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction is a time-dependent process. Echocardiographic assessment of myocardial hypertrophy and functional changes correlate well with the actual heart mass and lung mass. Echocardiography is sensitive enough to assess myocardial hypertrophy and heart functional changes induced by pressure overload in mice. myocardial; heart failure; left ventricular hypertrophy WITH THE ADVENT OF TRANSGENIC TECHNOLOGY, genetically altered mice with remarkable cardiovascular phenotypes have been commonly used in cardiovascular research, and it is an important approach to integrate a genetically engineered mouse with a pressure overload intervention to study the interplay of genes and pathophysiology of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. However, the murine model of pressure overload by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) is not widely used because it is difficult to prepare the model in such a small animal; microsurgical techniques are thus required (3, 9, 11). Furthermore, it is critically important to develop approaches for accurate and reproducible measurements of cardiac morphology and function in the intact mice with pressure overload.Transthoracic echocardiography has been reported (5, 8, 14) as a reliable tool for monitoring the changes of cardiac geometry and function in vivo, but serial echocardiographic evaluation of myocardial hypertrophy in mice with TAC has not been extensively performed. Therefore, it is important to confirm the ability of echocardiography to distinguish between differences in severity of cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial function in TAC murine models.In the present study, we hypothesized that echocardiography is able to monitor the changes of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and has the sensitivity to distinguish between differences in severity of disease in TAC mice. To test this hypothesis, we established a murine model of TAC and assessed morphometric and functional characteristics with the use of echocardiography. Furthermore, we validated the results of echocardiographic heart mass by necropsy over a time course and checked the cor...

he incidence of cardiovascular diseases is low in pre-menopausal women, whereas it is increased in post-menopausal women. Estrogen supplementation therapy prevented the increase of cardiovascular diseases in post-menopausal women, 1 while recent metaanalysis of randomized trials showed no significant merits. 2 Effects of estrogen on cardiovascular diseases were attributed principally to the modification of serum lipid concentration and coagulation pathways, while direct actions of estrogen on the cardiovascular system contributed substantially to the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen because estrogen receptors (ER and ER ) are expressed in the blood vessels and in the heart. 3,4 Both ER and ER are also widely expressed in the central nervous system. 5 Estrogen plays crucial roles in sexual behavior, learning and memory processes, protection against ischemic insults and modulation of autonomic nervous function. 6 In fact, a reduction of estrogen levels following menopause might increase the vulnerability of women to stress while estrogen supplementation attenuates the exaggerated response to stress or to increased sympathoadrenal activity. 7 A unique form of acute cardiac attack called "takotsubo cardiomyopathy", or "transient left ventricular apical ballooning" similarly occurs predominantly in postmenopausal women in association with emotional or physical stress. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Although the etiology of this syndrome is yet to be clarified, an increase of serum norepinephrine, epinephrine and neuropeptide Y levels at the onset of takotsubo cardiomyopathy compared with acute myocardial infarction suggests that the exaggerated sympathoadrenal activation triggered by stress is the primary cause of this cardiomyopathy. 9,10 Immobilization stress (IMO) in the rat provides an excellent animal model of emotional stress, which activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system and the sympathoadrenal system. 15 We have succeeded in developing a model of this clinical condition in rats. [16][17][18][19][20] The characteristic changes such as elevation of Circ J 2007; 71: 565 -573 (Received September 19, 2006; revised manuscript received January 9, 2007; accepted January 23, 2007 Background Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is triggered by emotional or physical stress especially in postmenopausal women. A reduction in estrogen levels following menopause might underlie the high incidence of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Methods and ResultsThe left ventricular contraction between ovariectomized rats (OVX) and OVX with estrogen supplementation (OVX + E) while subjected to immobilization stress (IMO) was compared. The IMO in combination with general anesthesia impaired the left ventricular contraction in both OVX and OVX + E. Estrogen supplementation tended to improve the IMO-induced cardiac dysfunction and significantly attenuated the increase of blood pressure and heart rate. To understand the protective mechanism of estrogen, the expression of c-fos mRNA, a marker of cellular activation was compared. ...

Sildenafil citrate had the effect of vasodilation in a normal coronary artery; however, a combined effect with nitrate resulted in large and protracted decreases in systemic blood pressure and coronary blood flow in vessels with critical stenosis.