Increased expression of osteopontin in the heart tissue of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune myocarditis

The expression of osteopontin (OPN) in the hearts of rats with experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was evaluated. Western blot analysis showed that OPN was significantly increased in the hearts with EAM compared with those of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) immunized control. Immunohistochemically, OPN was weakly expressed in the cardiomyocytes in the heart with normal and CFA immunized controls. In EAM lesions, OPN was intensely immunostained in some inflammatory cells, mainly ED1 positive macrophages. These findings suggest that OPN is significantly increased in EAM lesions and that OPN mediates the inflammatory process in the course of rat EAM model.