Our main findings are that (a) Axl mRNA levels are increased in the LV of rats subjected to pressure-overload, (b) Axl expression correlates with the degree of LV hypertrophy but not with systolic function impairment, (c) circulating sAXL levels estimate LV expression and are higher in plasma from LVH rats compared to Sham and HF rats, and (d) renal and vascular Axl expression are not altered in this model. This evidence concerns the gene AXL and hydrops fetalis.