On the other hand, ATF3 adenoviral gene transfer in vivo had no effect on the gene expression of the several cardiac hypertrophy markers, including ANP, BNP, α-MHC, and ß-MHC, and skeletal and cardiac α-actins (Figure 8B) or the structure and function of the heart, as analyzed by echocardiography (Table 3). This evidence concerns the gene NPPB and cardiac hypertrophy.