Effect Of Ghrelin On Left Ventricular Dysfunction In Rats With Heart Failure

Objective:Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients in end-stage often appear left ventricular (LV) remodeling and cardiac cachexia. It is reported that ghrelin had protecting effect on CHF LV function and energy metabolism. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of ghrelin on LV dysfunction and cardiac cachexia in CHF rats.Methods:Ligation of the left coronary artery or sham operation was performed;4weeks after surgery, ghrelin (100mg/kg SC BID) or saline was administered for3weeks. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization were performed.Results:Serum GH and insulin-like growth factor-1were significantly higher in both CHF and sham rats treated with ghrelin than in those given placebo (P<0.05for both). CHF rats given placebo showed an impaired increase in body weight compared with sham rats given placebo (P<0.05). CHF rats treated with ghrelin, however, showed a significantly greater increase in body weight than those given placebo (P<0.05). They showed significantly higher cardiac output (P<0.05) and LV dP/dtmax(P<0.05) than CHF rats given placebo. Ghrelin increased diastolic thickness of the noninfarcted posterior wall, inhibited LV enlargement, and increased LV fractional shortening in CHF rats.Conclusions:Chronic administration of ghrelin can improve LV dysfunction and slow down the development of LV remodeling and cardiac cachexia in rats with CHF. Ghrelin is expected to become a new method for the treatment of CHF.