Cpxm2 as a novel candidate for cardiac hypertrophy and failure in hypertension [Affymetrix]

We assigned carboxypeptidase X 2 (Cpxm2) to a genetic locus for left ventricular mass. The functional role of Cpxm2 was investigated in Cpxm2-deficient (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice exposed to deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension and control conditions (SHAM). Both WT and KO animals developed severe and similar systolic hypertension in response to DOCA. WT mice developed severe LV damage. These changes were significantly ameliorated or even normalized (i.e. ejection fraction) in KO-DOCA animals. LV transcriptome analysis in WT, but not in KO mice, showed a molecular cardiac hypertrophy/remodeling signature with significant upregulation of 1234 transcripts including Cpxm2 in response to DOCA. In the mouse model whole transcriptome profiling was performed on LV tissues from male SHAM and DOCA animals of both WT and KO mice (n = 3, respectively). The RNA was processed and hybridized on the GeneChip® Mouse Gene 2.0 ST Array (Affymetrix UK Ltd., High Wycombe, UK). Total RNA for both microarray workflows was prepared for hybridization according to the manufacturer’s instructions.