Profibrotic Role for Interleukin-4 in Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction.

ABSTRACT: Elevated interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels are associated with cardiac fibrosis in hypertension and heart failure in both patients and experimental animals. We hypothesized that chronically elevated IL-4 induces cardiac fibrosis, resulting in a predisposition of the heart to angiotensin II-induced damage. Wild-type Balb/c (WT, high circulating IL-4) and IL-4-deficient Balb/c mice (IL-4(-/-)) were used. WT mice exhibited cardiac fibrosis (evidenced by an increase in expression of procollagen genes/interstitial collagen fraction), enlarged left ventricle chamber, and declined cardiac function associated with a greater number of mast cells and macrophages in the heart compared with IL-4(-/-). In contrast, IL-4(-/-) mice had normal cardiac architecture/function while showing a 57.9% reduction in hea

SUBMITTER: Peng H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4685692 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature