Abstract: Objective: To observe whether acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is expressed in cardiac fibroblasts and investigate the change of ALDH2 in cardiac fibroblasts when cultured with high concentration of glucose. Methods: Cultured cardiac fibroblasts were randomly divided into four groups:normal control group (5.5 mmol/L glucose), Alda-1 (the agonist of ALDH2, 20μmol/L) group, high glucose group (30 mmol/L glucose) and high glucose + Alda-1 group. Cardiac fibroblasts were identified by immunofluore-scence technique. Cell prolifera-tion was detected by MTT method after treated with drugs for 48 hours. mRNA and protein expressions of ALDH2 were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot, aimed to ensure whether ALDH2 was expressed in cardiac fibroblasts. The changes of ALDH2 protein expression in cardiac fibroblasts were tested by Western blot. Results: RT-PCR and Western blot results revealed that ALDH2 was expressed in cardiac fibroblasts. Compared with normal control group, cardiac fibroblasts proliferation was increased (P < 0.05), while the protein expression of ALDH2 was reduced (P < 0.05) in high glucose group. When treated with Alda-1, the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts was decreased (P < 0.01), while the protein expression of ALDH2 was increased (P < 0.05) in high glucose group. Conclusion: ALDH2 was expressed in cardiac fi-broblasts. Alda-1, the agonist of ALDH2 enhanced the expression of ALDH2 and inhibited the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts when cultured with high concentration of glucose.

Key words: cardiac fibroblasts, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2, high concentration of glucose, Alda-1, rat