Consistent with the protective effect ofNAC on cardiac pathophysiological changes, real-time RT-PCR analysis of the mRNAexpressions that related to cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis, such asα-MHC, β-MHC, ANP, BNP, Col1a1, Col3a1, Mmp2,and Mmp9, also showed the similar trend (Fig.5c,5d). This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and cardiac hypertrophy.