Role Of Apoptosis In Myocardial Remodeling Chronic Heart Failure Secondary To Rheumatic Heart Disease

Background: The cell apoptosis is a mode of procedure cell death (PCD) which is controlled by a series of gene. It inspires the suicide procedure by endogenetic or extergenetic apoptosis signal. Kerr put forward the concept of cell apoptosis in 1972. He considered that it was a active, exactly regulated and energy costing process. In less than 30 years, cell apoptosis have permeated kinds of domain in life sciences.Objective: Apoptosis is a specific form of cell death, which is also called PCD. It is different from necrocytosis. It is a cytology procedure regulated by a series of gene. To study the roles of apoptosis in the myocardial remodeling of chronic heart failure secondary to rheumatic heart disease. Methods: Ventricular samples from patients with CHD(atrial septal defect) without pulmonary artery hypertension were used as control group(n=20). The age is from 3 to 9, and the average age is 4.5±0.8. At the same time , ventricular samples from patients with rheumatic heart disease were use as experiment group(n=20). The age is from 42 to 67, and the average age is 52.3±4.8. They are all according with diagnosis criterion of heart failure. Terminal deoxynuleotidyl transferase-mediated uUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique was used to detect nucleosomal DNA fragmentation of apoptotic cells and immunohistochemial technique for the detection of apoptotic cells in the left and right ventricular myocardium of patients with chronic heart failure. Results: There is obviously remodeling in the construction of myocardium of patients with chronic heart failure secondary to rheumatic heart disease. Apoptosis was detected in the myocardium of failing hearts of patients. No apoptosis was found in myocardium of patients in control group. According statistics test, there is significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Also, Apoptosis expression was elevated along with the increasingly degree of failing hearts. Conclusion: Cardiomyocyte-specific apoptosis contributes to the transition from compensatory hypertrophy to decompensation. Thus , apoptosis may be involved in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure. There exist close relationship between apoptosis and chronic heart failure secondary to rheumatic heart disease.