Objective: This study aims to describe the expression profile and role of cardiac pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) during cardiac development. 

Methods: Gene datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used to analyze the correlation between cardiac PEDF expression and heart disease; western blot, immunohistochemistry, histological staining and echocardiography were used to assess the expression pattern and function of PEDF during cardiac development. 

Results: The analysis of the data set from GEO database showed that the expression of cardiac PEDF was correlated with the occurrence and development of various heart diseases. Western blot results of different tissues of mice at 30 days postnatally showed that the abundance of PEDF expression in the heart and aorta was higher than its expression in the liver. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of cardiac PEDF significantly decreased after birth, mainly due to the significant decrease of PEDF expression abundance in cytoplasm. The results of histological staining and echocardiography showed that PEDF deficiency had no significant effect on cardiac structure, cardiac function and vascular hemodynamics in eight-week-old mice.

Conclusion: Cardiac PEDF shows high expression and dynamic changes during cardiac development, but has no effect on cardiac structure, function and vascular hemodynamics.