Although the molecular signals underlying cardiac hypertrophy have been the subject of intense investigation, the extent of common and distinct gene regulation between different forms of cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear. We hypothesized that a general and comparative analysis of hypertrophic gene expression, using microarray technology in multiple models of cardiac hypertrophy, including aor...

RATIONALE Sustained cardiac hypertrophy is often accompanied by maladaptive cardiac remodeling leading to decreased compliance and increased risk for heart failure. Maladaptive hypertrophy is considered to be a therapeutic target for heart failure. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have various biological functions and have been extensively investigated in past years. OBJEC...

BACKGROUND Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) is the high-affinity receptor for the coagulation protease thrombin. It is expressed by a variety of cell types in the heart, including cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. We have shown that tissue factor (TF) and thrombin contribute to infarct size after cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Moreover, in vitro studies have shown that PA...

BACKGROUND Rapamycin is a specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). We recently reported that administration of rapamycin before exposure to ascending aortic constriction significantly attenuated the load-induced increase in heart weight by approximately 70%. METHODS AND RESULTS To examine whether rapamycin can regress established cardiac hypertrophy, mice were subjected...

Regression of cardiac hypertrophy and improvement of the functional capacity of failing hearts have reportedly been achieved by mechanical unloading in cardiac work. In this study, cardiac hypertrophy was first induced in rats by transverse aortic constriction and then mechanically unloaded by relieving the constriction after significant cardiac hypertrophy had developed. Hypertrophy was signif...

Cardiac hypertrophy can occur as an adaptative response to increased cardiac workload. Different types of cardiac hypertrophy arise from a combination of genetic, physiologic, and environmental factors. When hypertophic growth of the heart leads to left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure, the response is considered as maladaptive or pathological hypertrophy. After analyzed left ventricul...