Abstract: AIM: To study the effects of liver cirrhosis on the expressions of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in rat myocardium. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group and liver cirrhosis group. The heart weight to body weight ratio (H/B) were recorded. The ventricular hemodynamical parameters in vitro were determined. α-MHC mRNA and β-MHC mRNA expression of myocardium was evaluated by RT-PCR.RESULTS: In contrast to normal rat,H/B were increased , left ventricular systolic pressure LVSP, maximal rise/fall rate of left ventricular pressure ±dp/dt_max were decreased in model rat. The expression of α-MHC mRNA was decreased,and the expression of β-MHC mRNA was in the opposite.CONCLUSION: Liver cirrhosis affects the function of myocardial and stimulates the expressional change of myosin heavy chain gene in rat myocardium, which is related with the occurrence and development of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.

Key words: Liver cirrhosis, Heart, Myosin heavy chain