Objective     To explore the relationship of the expressions of myocardial angiotensin convering enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin  Ⅱ  (AngⅡ)

and myocardial remodeling and cardiac functions in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).       Methods     Pathologic and morphologic studies on myocardial tissue samples of 35 patients with CHF due to valvular heart diseases and of 5 matched health subjects dying of accidents were carried out with light and electronic microscopy assay. Protein expressions of ACE and AngⅡ in myocardial tissues were analyzed using Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the positions of ACE and AngⅡ expressions.       Results     Pathological changes of CHF patients showed typical myocardial remodeling. Their ACE and AngⅡ expressions were increased than in the control subjects

but ACE/AngⅡ ratio was decreased in the patients with severe CHF than in the mild CHF. Immunohistochemistry showed that ACE mainly expressed in the membrane of cardiocyte

and AngⅡ mainly in the endochylema of cardiocyte.       Conclusion     The expressions of ACE and AngⅡ are up-regulated in CHF patients

which may be involved in the myocardium remodeling. The ratio of ACE/AngⅡ is decreased in CHF patients

suggested that AngⅡ production may be ACE independent.