Adenovirus-mediated delivery of relaxin reverses cardiac fibrosis

Abstract

We have evaluated the effectiveness of systemic adenovirally delivered mouse relaxin on reversing fibrosis in a transgenic murine model of fibrotic cardiomyopathy due to β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) overexpression. Recombinant adenoviruses expressing green fluorescent protein (Ad-GFP), rat relaxin (Ad-rRLN) and mouse relaxin (Ad-mRLN) were generated and Ad-rRLN and Ad-mRLN were demonstrated to direct the expression of bioactive relaxin peptides in vitro. A single systemic injection of Ad-mRLN resulted in transgene expression in the liver and bioactive relaxin peptide in the plasma. Ad-mRLN, but not Ad-GFP, treatment reversed the increased left ventricular collagen content in β2AR mice to co..