Similar to gravimetrical analyses of the hearts, chronic treatment with metoprolol and sR-Fc prevented cardiac hypertrophy (LVM 109.5±11.0 and 82.8±6.3 mg, respectively; both p<0.05 vs. TGF-β1), whereas telmisartan did not (Fig. 3A and B). This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and cardiac hypertrophy.