Objective        To establish the diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) rat model and then observe the effects of leptin on ventricular remodeling in DCM rats.       Methods      Ten healthy male SD rats (SPF

8 weeks old

weighing 170 to 190 g) were selected as normal control group (NC) who were given normal diet. Fifty healthy SD rats (SPF

8 weeks old

weighing 170 to 190 g) were intraperitoneally injected

twice with streptozocin (STZ) to induce DCM. The DCM rats were randomly divided into three groups: a DCM group (group A

n=10)

a 50 g/kg leptin group (group B

n=10) and a 100 g/kg leptin group (group C

n=10). The DCM rats were fed with high fat/high sucrose diet. In the eleventh week

the groups B and C were separately given daily intraperitoneal injections of leptin of 50 g/kg and 100 g/kg

respectively

while groups NC and A were injected with distilled water for 5 d. Serum IL-6

angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang-Ⅱ)

LVEDP

LVIDd

and LVEF were tested at the end of the 12th week.       Results      There was abnormal cardiac function in DCM rats. Serum IL-6 and Ang-Ⅱ in DCM rats (group A) were significantly higher than that of the controls (

P

0.01). After the intervention of leptin

the cardiac function decline was more severe while the serum IL-6 and Ang-Ⅱ levels became higher (

P

0.01)

especially in group C.       Conclusion      Leptin may be involved in the occurrence and development of DCM

probably through activating the rennin angiotensin system and inflammatory factors.