TY - JOUR
T1 - Immunohistochemical expression of oncological proliferation markers in the hearts of rats during normal pregnancy
AU - Ciulla, Michele M.
AU - Acquistapace, Giulia
AU - Perrucci, Gianluca L.
AU - Nicolini, Paola
AU - Toffetti, Laura
AU - Braidotti, Paola
AU - Ferrero, Stefano
AU - Zucca, Ileana
AU - Aquino, Domenico
AU - Busca, Giuseppe
AU - Magrini, Fabio
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - Aim: Pregnancy is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy that is potentially accounted for by cardiomyocyte proliferation, although no such evidence is currently available. This study investigates if the left ventricular mass (LVM) increase during pregnancy implies cell hyperplasia. Materials & methods: In nonpregnant and late-pregnant rats, cardiac function and LVM were evaluated by MRI, and cardiomyocyte dimensions and proliferations were assessed quantitatively by morphometric analysis and immunohistochemistry using oncological markers (Ki67 and MCM2). Results: In late-pregnant rats, LVM and cardiomyocyte area were greater. No mitotic figures were found nor was there any significant difference between groups in Ki67 expression. MCM2 expression was related to LVM. Conclusion: During pregnancy, rat cardiomyocytes undergo hypertrophy but not hyperplasia; the expression of MCM2, related to LVM, suggests it could be a marker of protein synthesis. The application of oncological markers to physiological contexts may provide insight into their role within the cell cycle.
AB - Aim: Pregnancy is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy that is potentially accounted for by cardiomyocyte proliferation, although no such evidence is currently available. This study investigates if the left ventricular mass (LVM) increase during pregnancy implies cell hyperplasia. Materials & methods: In nonpregnant and late-pregnant rats, cardiac function and LVM were evaluated by MRI, and cardiomyocyte dimensions and proliferations were assessed quantitatively by morphometric analysis and immunohistochemistry using oncological markers (Ki67 and MCM2). Results: In late-pregnant rats, LVM and cardiomyocyte area were greater. No mitotic figures were found nor was there any significant difference between groups in Ki67 expression. MCM2 expression was related to LVM. Conclusion: During pregnancy, rat cardiomyocytes undergo hypertrophy but not hyperplasia; the expression of MCM2, related to LVM, suggests it could be a marker of protein synthesis. The application of oncological markers to physiological contexts may provide insight into their role within the cell cycle.
KW - cardiomyocytes
KW - hyperplasia
KW - left ventricular hypertrophy
KW - oncological proliferation markers
KW - pregnancy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873480589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84873480589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2217/bmm.12.94
DO - 10.2217/bmm.12.94
M3 - Article
C2 - 23387493
AN - SCOPUS:84873480589
VL - 7
SP - 119
EP - 129
JO - Biomarkers in Medicine
JF - Biomarkers in Medicine
SN - 1752-0363
IS - 1
ER -