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Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure
Published on: January 14, 2014
Preclinical Assessment of Atorvastatin for Treatment of Endocardial Fibroelastosis
Daniel Diaz-Gil1, Gregor Gierlinger2, Natalia Silva-Gomez3
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pediatric Heart Medicine and Adults with Congenital Heart Disease, University Heart and Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Endocardial fibroelastosis is a condition caused by the fibrogenic activation of endothelial cells via endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition of the endocardium, which is regulated by the transforming growth factor-β pathway. Atorvastatin, a statin, can protect the vascular endothelium by up-regulating KLF2 and inhibiting the transforming growth factor-β pathway. This study aimed to investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the fibrogenic activation of endothelial cells in the endocardium. The study found that atorvastatin treatment reduced fibrogenic activation of endocardial endothelial cells and increased KLF2 expression in both in vitro and in vivo models of endocardial fibroelastosis-related left ventricular restriction.
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