In a study in which ghrelin (100 μg/kg, twice daily, for 2 weeks) was subcutaneously administered to myocardial infarction model rats beginning on the day after ligation, the increase in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and decrease in left ventricular systolic performance were significantly mitigated in the ghrelin-treated group compared with controls, although there was no difference in cardiac weight or infarction size [48]. This evidence concerns the gene GHRL and infarction.