Open Access

Metoprolol protects cardiomyocytes in rabbit model of heart failure by regulating Cx43

  • Authors:
    • Hu Zhai
    • Wenyi Dai
    • Yu Wang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: December 4, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5590
  • Pages: 1902-1905
  • Copyright: © Zhai et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

This study investigated the protective effect of metoprolol on cardiomyocytes in rabbits with heart failure and its possible mechanism. Sixty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into infarction group and non-infarction group, 30 in each group. Myocardial infarction was constructed by ligation of anterior descending branch of coronary artery. Coronary artery threading without ligation after thoracotomy was performed for rabbits in non-infarction group. After model construction, rabbits in each group were further divided into control group (n=15) and metoprolol group (n=15), and fed with normal diet and normal diet + metoprolol. Animals were sacrificed 8 weeks later, and ventricular tissue around infarction area was collected. Expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in myocardium was detected by immunohisto­chemistry. Expression of Cx43 protein and mRNA in each group was detected by western blot and reverse transcription PCR. The Cx43 protein was positively expressed in non-infarction group and was evenly distributed in intercellular space. Compared with non-infarction group, expression of Cx43 in infarction group was significantly decreased or even disappeared, while the decrease in expression level of Cx43 and the degree of dispersion were lower in metoprolol group than in control group. There was no significant difference in expression of level of Cx43 protein and mRNA between the subgroups of non-infarction group (P>0.05). In infarction group, expression level of Cx43 protein and mRNA in the metoprolol group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The results showed that metoprolol can protect cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction, and the possible mechanism is related to the regulation of Cx43 expression in cardiomyocytes.

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February-2018
Volume 15 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Zhai H, Dai W and Wang Y: Metoprolol protects cardiomyocytes in rabbit model of heart failure by regulating Cx43. Exp Ther Med 15: 1902-1905, 2018.
APA
Zhai, H., Dai, W., & Wang, Y. (2018). Metoprolol protects cardiomyocytes in rabbit model of heart failure by regulating Cx43. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 15, 1902-1905. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5590
MLA
Zhai, H., Dai, W., Wang, Y."Metoprolol protects cardiomyocytes in rabbit model of heart failure by regulating Cx43". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 15.2 (2018): 1902-1905.
Chicago
Zhai, H., Dai, W., Wang, Y."Metoprolol protects cardiomyocytes in rabbit model of heart failure by regulating Cx43". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 15, no. 2 (2018): 1902-1905. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5590