Quantification of collagen type I, collagen type III, cardiac brain natriuretic peptide and β‐Myosin heavy chain expression by PCR

Cardiac mRNA expression of collagen types I and III, BNP and β‐MHC was assessed by PCR as we have previously described (Rajapakse et al. 2015). The following primers were used for (5′–3′) 18S (Forward: TTC GAG GCC CTG TAA TTG GA and Reverse: GCA GCA ACT TTA ATA TAC GCT ATT GG), CAT1 (forward: 5′‐CAT GCC CCG AGT TAT CTA TGC‐3′ and (reverse: TTT TGG TCC TAT TGT TGA TTT TGG‐3′) collagen I (Forward: GGA GAT GAT GGG GAA GCT G and Reverse: AAT CCA CGA GCA CCC TGA), collagen III (Forward: GGA ATG GAG CAA GAC AGT CTT TG and Reverse: TGC GAT ATC TAT GAT GGG TAG TCT CA), β‐Myosin heavy chain (β‐MHC, Forward: TCT CTT GCT GTT TCC TTA CTT GCT A and reverse: GTA CTC CTC TGC TGA GGC TTC CT) and cardiac BNP (Forward: CCT GGC CCA TCG CTT CT and Reverse: CAT CTG GGA CAG CAC CTT CA).