Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26711798›Full record

ArticleHeart rhythm2016

Relaxin suppresses atrial fibrillation in aged rats by reversing fibrosis and upregulating Na+ channels.

Brian L Henry, Beth Gabris, Qiao Li, Brian Martin, Marianna Giannini, Ashish Parikh, Divyang Patel, Jamie Haney, David S Schwartzman, Sanjeev G Shroff and 1 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Heart rhythm, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed
7.3field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

33 citing papers in PubMed, 68 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Relaxin-2: Shaping the Proteomic Landscape of Skeletal Muscle Physiology, Glucose Trafficking, and Mitochondrial Function in Rat.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Brian L HenryUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Beth GabrisUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Qiao LiUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Brian MartinUniversity of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Marianna GianniniUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ashish ParikhUniversity of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Divyang PatelUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jamie HaneyUniversity of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
David S SchwartzmanUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sanjeev G ShroffUniversity of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Guy SalamaUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,; University of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: gsalama@pitt.edu.
University of Pittsburgh · US

Funding

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE: BPCAUL1RR024153 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI REIS, STEVEN E · 2006 to 2011
$73.9M
University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUL1TR000005 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI REIS, STEVEN E · 2012 to 2015
$50.8M
Effects of K+ Accumulation/Depletion in the HeartR01HL093074 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI SALAMA, GUY · 2010 to 2013
$1.9M
PURCHASE OF A HIGH FIELD NMR SPECTROMETERS10RR002415 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI SHAFER, JULES ALAN · 1985 to 1985
–
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000005NCATS NIH HHS UL1TR000005NCRR NIH HHS UL1RR02415NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR024153NHLBI NIH HHS HL093074NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL093074
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in elderly patients and has been correlated with enhanced age-dependent atrial fibrosis. Reversal of atrial fibrosis has been proposed as therapeutic strategy to suppress AF.

objectiveTo test the ability of relaxin to reverse age-dependent atrial fibrosis and suppress AF.

methodsAged F-344 rats (24 months old) were treated with subcutaneous infusion of vehicle or relaxin (0.4 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks. Rat hearts were excised, perfused on a Langendorff apparatus, and stained with voltage and Ca(2+) indicator dyes. Optical mapping and programmed electrical stimulation was used to test arrhythmia vulnerability and changes in electrophysiological characteristics. Changes in protein expression and Na(+) current density (INa) were measured by tissue immunofluorescence and whole-cell patch clamp technique.

resultsIn aged rats, sustained AF was readily induced with a premature pulse (n = 7/8) and relaxin treatment suppressed sustained AF by a premature impulse or burst pacing (n = 1/6) (P < .01). Relaxin significantly increased atrial action potential conduction velocity and decreased atrial fibrosis. Relaxin treatment increased Nav1.5 expression (n = 6; 36% ± 10%) and decreased total collagen and collagen I (n = 5-6; 55%-66% ± 15%) in aged atria (P < .05) and decreased collagen I and III and TGF-β1 mRNA (P < .05). Voltage-clamp experiments demonstrated that relaxin treatment (100 nM for 2 days) increased atrial INa by 46% ± 4% (n = 12-13/group, P < .02).

conclusionRelaxin suppresses AF through an increase in atrial conduction velocity by decreasing atrial fibrosis and increasing INa. These data provide compelling evidence that relaxin may serve as an effective therapy to manage AF in geriatric patients by reversing fibrosis and modulating cardiac ionic currents.

Indexed as

Up-RegulationAction PotentialsAnimalsAtrial FibrillationCells, CulturedDisease Models, AnimalFibrosisHeart AtriaHeart Conduction SystemMaleMyocytes, CardiacRatsRats, Inbred F344Rats, Inbred WKYRelaxinSodium ChannelsRelaxinSodium ChannelsAgingAtrial fibrillationFibrosisRelaxinSodium channel

Identifiers

PMID26711798
PMCPMC4801709
OpenAlexW2203040988

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.