ABSTRACT
Objective To study adrenomedullin (AM) mRNA and protein expression level in myocardium of autoimmune myocarditis animal models induced by immunization of mice with lactobacillus casei cell wall element(LCWE). Methods Forty-five Balb/c male mice were randomly divided into experimental group (n = 30) and control group (n = 15), which were intraperitoneally injected with LCWE and phosphate buffered solution(PBS) at day 0,3,5 and 10,respectively. Sera and myocardium samples were gained 14,21 and 28 days after the first immunization. AM expression levels were determined by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT- PCR) and immunchistochemistry,and mycardial histopathological lesions were observed. The anti- myosin antibodies in different stages were examined by an ELISA. Results There were myocardial necrosis or inflammatory infiltration in the experimental group, but myocardial lesions were not found in the control group. Anti - myosin antibodies were detected in sera of experimental mice,but not in control group. Immunchistochemistry findings demonstrated that AM expression level was higher in the experimental group than in the control group( P