A new treatment for refractory non-ischemic heart disease with ghrelin via multifaceted effects

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591056
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Circulatory organs internal medicine
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: SOEKI Takeshi 徳島大学, ヘルスバイオサイエンス研究部, 講師 (60393211)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SATA Masataka 徳島大学, 大学院ヘルスバイオサイエンス研究部, 教授 (80345214)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KANGAWA Kenji 国立循環器病研究センター, 研究所, 所長 (00112417)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 循環器 / 生理活性 / 薬理学 / 心臓病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Autoimmune myocarditis was induced.by immunization in male Lewis rats. After the treatment of ghrelin or vehicle for 3 weeks, left ventricular (LV) enlargement and the deteriorated LV fractional shortening were improved. There was a significant decrease in LV end-diastolic pressure in ghrelin-treated rats. In addition, ghrelin markedly attenuated an increase in morphometrical collagen volume fraction and histological inflammation in LV. Ghrelin also attenuated the enhanced expression of Th1 cytokines and ameliorated the mRNA expression of TNF-α and MCP-1 in the heart of rats with myocarditis. In addition, spontaneously hypertensive rats were treated with ghrelin or vehicle for 3 weeks as atrial fibrillation (AF) model after 8-hour right atrial rapidly pacing. The administration of ghrelin significantly reduced heart rate and AF inducibility compared with vehicle.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学