Abstract: AIM: To analyze the role and mechanism of PDGF/AKT pathway in pressure overload-induced ventricular remodeling. METHODS: A total of 55 C57BL/6 female mice were selected to establish aortic arch narrowing model. Forty-five models were successfully modeled. The randomized digital table method was used to divide the models into sham operation group, DMSO group and experimental group. The sham operation group was opened after chest operation. The suture was performed without aortic coarctation (TAC). After 24 hours of thoracotomy, 200 μL of PBS solution and 50 μL of DMSO were administered. The DMSO group was given 200 μL of PBS solution and 50 μL of DMSO 24 h after operation. The experimental group was given PBS solution 200 μL plus AG1296 50 μL 24 h after TAC to observe the heart function and myocardial histopathology of mice. Lentiviral infection was established to identify and culture HUVEC cells with different expression of PDGF gene. According to different treatments, the cells were divided into control group, PDGF group, shRNA group and PDGF+IMA group to detect the expression of p-AKT and t-AKT protein in HUVEC cells. RESULTS:LVESV, LVEDV, LVESD and LVEDD were increased in DMSO group as compared with sham operation group, while EF and FS of DMSO group were lower than those in sham operation group. LVESV, LVEDV, LVESD and LVEDD were lower in experimental group than those in DMSO group, while EF and FS in experimental group were higher than those in DMSO group. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The sham operation group had neatly arranged myocardial tissue and normal interstitial; the DMSO group had irregular morphology, inflammatory cell infiltration, cell gap was enlarged, and the nucleus was deeply stained. The number of expanded or necrotic cells in experimental group decreased, the gap became smaller, and the inflammatory infiltration decreased. The cross-sectional area of myocardial cells in DMSO group was higher than that in sham operation group. The cross-sectional area of the myocardial cells in experimental group was lower than that in DMSO group (P<0.05). The expression of p-AKT and t-AKT protein in PDGF+IMA group was significantly higher than that in PDGF group and shRNA group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:PDGF can accelerate ventricular remodeling induced by pressure overload and promote the formation of myocardial fibrosis, while inhibiting PDGF/AKT pathway can improve myocardial cell hypertrophy.

Key words: platelet-derived growth factor, pressure overload, myocardial fibrosis, ventricular remodeling, cardiac hypertrophy