Fibrosis growth factor 23 is a promoting factor for cardiac fibrosis in the presence of transforming growth factor-β1

We demonstrated that, four weeks after the pulmonary artery banding (PAB) operation, rats could be divided into two groups: an F+ group in which the fibrotic area occupied more than 6.5% of the whole area of the heart tissues, and an F- group in which the fibrotic area occupied less than 6.5% of this area. We used microarrays to elucidate the fibrosis initiating master factor using heart samples obtained from PAB or sham-operated rats. Frozen rat right ventricles in the Sham, F- (no fibrosis), and F+ (fibrosis) groups were used (n=3 each). Then microarray analysis was performed.