2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

IRF3 regulates cardiac fibrosis but not hypertrophy in mice during angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21790710
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Circulatory organs internal medicine
Research Institution	The University of Tokyo
Principal Investigator	TSUSHIMA Kensuke The University of Tokyo, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (50436482)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	心臓 / 線維化 / 炎症 / アンギオテンシンII / IRF3 / Fibrocyte
Research Abstract	Hypertension is a typical modern lifestyle-related disease that is closely associated with the development of cardiovascular disorders. Elevation of angiotensin II (ANG II) is one of several critical factors for hypertension and heart failure ; however, the mechanisms underlying the ANG II-mediated pathogenesis are still poorly understood. Here, we show that ANG II-mediated cardiac fibrosis, but not hypertrophy, is regulated by interferon regulatory factor3(IRF3), which until now has been exclusively studied in the innate immune system. Our present study reveals an unrecognized function of IRF3 in cardiac remodeling, providing new insight into the progression of hypertension-induced cardiac pathogenesis.