【Animal Modeling】-Uncoupling protein 1 knockout exacerbates isoproterenol-induced myocardial remodeling in rats

  Objective To investigate the long-term effects of uncoupling protein 1 gene knockout on isoproterenol-induced myocardial remodeling in rats.

  Methods Two-month-old wild-type rats and Ucp1 knockout rats were injected intraperitoneally with normal saline or isoproterenol (30 mg/(kg·d) for 3 days) to establish a rat myocardial remodeling model. For 1 month, M-type echocardiography, serum myocardial injury markers lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (creatine kinase MB) were performed on wild-type rats and Ucp1 knockout rats, respectively. isoenzyme MB, CK-MB) detection and histopathological phenotype analysis.

  Results There was no significant difference in cardiac morphology, structure, function and serum CK-MB levels between Ucp1 knockout rats and wild-type rats in the normal saline group. In the model group, compared with wild-type rats, the hearts of Ucp1 knockout rats showed significant ventricular wall thinning and decreased systolic function; serum LDH and CK-MB levels were significantly increased; myocardial cell arrangement was disordered and more severe interstitial fibrosis.

  Conclusion Ucp1 knockout aggravates the pathological phenotype of isoproterenol-induced myocardial remodeling in rats, and Ucp1 may be one of the important regulatory genes involved in the pathological process.