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J Vet Sci. 2007 Jun;8(2):121-129 |
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Epigallocatechin-3 gallate prevents cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload in rats
Jia Hao1, Chan-Hyung Kim1, Tae-Sun Ha2, Hee-Yul Ahn1,* |
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1Department of Pharmacology, and 2Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea
* hyahn@chungbuk.ac.kr |
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Pressure overload diseases, such as valvular stenosis
and systemic hypertension, manifest morphologically in
patients as cardiac concentric hypertrophy. Prevention of
cardiac remodeling due to increased pressure overload
is important to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) is a major bioactive
polyphenol present in green tea which has been found
to be a nitric oxide-mediated vasorelaxant and to be
cardioprotective in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion
injury. Therefore, we investigated whether EGCG
supplementation could reduce in vivo pressure overloadmediated
cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was
induced by suprarenal transverse abdominal aortic
constriction (AC) in rats. Three weeks after AC surgery,
heart to body weight ratio increased in the AC group by
34% compared to the sham group. EGCG administration
suppressed the load-induced increase in heart weight by
69%. Attenuation of cardiac hypertrophy by EGCG was
associated with attenuation of the increase in myocyte cell
size and fibrosis induced by aortic constriction. Despite
abolition of hypertrophy by EGCG, transstenotic pressure
gradients did not change. Echocardiogram revealed that
increased left ventricular systolic dimensions and
deteriorated systolic function were relieved by EGCG.
These results suggest that EGCG prevents the development
of left ventricular concentric hypertrophy by pressure
overload and may be a useful therapeutic modality to
prevent cardiac remodeling in patients with pressure
overload myocardial diseases.
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