ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the expression of heat shock protein 60(HSP60) and Toll-like receptor 4 transduction system in mouse cardiac transplantation. METHODS: The mouse cervical heart transplantation model was established. The animals were divided into control group (the donor and recipient were all C57BL/6 mice) and experimental group (the donor was BALB/c mice and recipient was C57BL/6 mice). The heart and blood were collected for study at 3 d and 7 d. The pathological analysis of the hearts was performed. The levels of cytokines in the serum were determined using ELISA. The expression of HSP60, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB in the myocardium was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: The expression levels of HSP60, TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB were higher in experimental group than those in control group. Severe rejection was observed in experimental group, whereas no distinct rejection in control group was found. The cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-12) increased significantly in experimental group as compared to those in control group. CONCLUSION: HSP60 increases significantly after heart transplantation, which may activate Toll-like receptor 4 transduction system in a MyD88-dependent pathway and promote allograft rejection. Regulation of HSP60 signal transduction may be a novel way for treating allograft rejection.