While neither treatment affected the elevated TGF-β1 protein levels in transgenic mice (Fig. 1A), chronic application of either metoprolol or sR-Fc prevented the increase of the heart-to-body-weight ratio (5.3±0.3 and 5.1±0.2 mg/g, respectively; both p<0.05 vs. TGF-β1) whereas telmisartan did not prevent cardiac hypertrophy in transgenic mice (Fig. 1B). This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and cardiac hypertrophy.