HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 289/1/H277    most recent 01206.2004v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kiji, T. Articles by Taniguchi, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kiji, T. Articles by Taniguchi, S.

Activation of regenerating gene Reg in rat and human hearts in response to acute stress

Departments of ¹Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and ²Public Health, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Nara; Departments of ³Biochemistry and ⁴Advanced Biological Sciences for Regeneration (Kotobiken Medical Laboratories), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi; and ⁵Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Nara, Japan

Submitted 1 December 2004 ; accepted in final form 10 March 2005

Recently, the regenerating gene (Reg) has been documented to play an important role in various regenerating tissues, but it is unknown whether the Reg gene could be activated in the heart. The aim of this study was to reveal the transcriptional activation of Reg in the heart in response to heart stress. We first found REG-1 protein expression in human hearts obtained from autopsied patients who died of myocardial infarction. REG protein was immunohistochemically stained in a fine granular pattern in the cytoplasm of cardiomyocytes. To demonstrate the activation profiles of Reg gene expression in the heart, we quantified the levels of Reg-1 mRNA in rat hearts after coronary artery ligation using real-time RT-PCR. Transient Reg-1 mRNA activation, peaking at 12 h after coronary ligation, was observed mainly in the atria, which was sevenfold higher compared with hearts with pressure overload due to aortic constriction. In contrast, Reg receptor mRNA was expressed intensely in damaged ventricles. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed the corresponding pattern of Reg protein secretion into the serum after loading, and circulating levels of the protein after myocardial infarction were higher than those after aortic constriction. In conclusion, our results demonstrate for the first time the presence of the Reg/Reg receptor system in damaged hearts. In view of emerging evidence of Reg for tissue regeneration in a variety of tissues/organs, it is proposed that the damaged heart may be a target for Reg action and that Reg may protect against acute heart stress.

receptor; heart failure; myocardial infarction; pressure overload

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. A. Steele, R. Dimaline, D. M. Pritchard, R. M. Peek Jr., T. C. Wang, G. J. Dockray, and A. Varro Helicobacter and gastrin stimulate Reg1 expression in gastric epithelial cells through distinct promoter elements Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): G347 - G354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]