RESUMEN
Objective]To assess the effects and mechanism of triptolide(TPL)on cardiac remodeling in chronic heart failure (CHF)rats.[Methods]Thirty-two Wistar rats were divided into four groups of eight:Control group,isoprenaline(Iso)group,TPL group(Iso+TPL)and captopril group(Iso+Cap). CHF rat model was induced by Iso. In TPL and Cap group,TPL(20μg/kg·d)and Cap(15 mg/kg·d)were administrated to CHF rats for six weeks. Left ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole(LVIDd)and left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole (LVIDs)were detected. Histopathological changes of myocardial tissues of rats were evaluated byMasson staining and immunohistochemical staining of type Ⅰcollagen. Ventricular weight/body weight ratio(VW/BW), collagen volume fraction(CVF),perivascular collagen volume area(PVCA)of myocardial tissues were calculated. With real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot,the protein and mRNA levels of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN)were detected.[Results]Compared to the Iso group,the levels of LVIDs,LVIDd,VW/BW,CVF and PVCA reduced in TPL and Cap group. TPL and Cap can alleviate the myocardial fibrosis in CHF rats. The expression of PTEN protein and mRNA increased markedly in the TPL or Cap treated group.[Conclusion]TPL can attenuate cardiac remodeling in Iso-induced CHF rats. The potential mechanism may be highly associated with the up-regulating of PTEN signaling pathway.