Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 20 (FGF20) is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family and involved in embryonic development and cardiac repair. This study aimed to explore the role of FGF20 in cardiac hypertrophy and the underlying molecular mechanisms. FGF20 improved cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, FGF20 increased expression of erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ErbB2), which was negatively correlated with expression of the cardiac hypertrophy markers atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). In addition, FGF20 effectively protected cardiomyocytes against apoptosis and oxidative stress. To further investigate whether protective effect of FGF20 is mediated by ErbB2, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were treated with lapatinib, an inhibitor of ErbB2. Lapatinib largely abrogated the anti-hypertrophic effect of FGF20, accompanied by increases in cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress. In summary, this study reveals that FGF20 prevents cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidative stress via activating ErbB2 and may be a promising therapeutic strategy for cardiac hypertrophy.