Osteonectin protects against adverse cardiac inflammation during viral myocarditis

Targeted overexpression of elafin protects mice against cardiac dysfunction and mortality following viral myocarditis.

Serine elastases degrade elastin, stimulate vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, and are associated with myocardial damage. To evaluate the impact of elastase inhibition on cardiovascular development and disease, transgenic mice were created in which the mouse preproendothelin-1 promoter was used to target elafin overexpression to the cardiovascular system. To distinguish th...

Runx1 Deficiency Protects Against Adverse Cardiac Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of heart failure and death worldwide. Preservation of contractile function and protection against adverse changes in ventricular architecture (cardiac remodeling) are key factors to limiting progression of this condition to heart failure. Consequently, new therapeutic targets are urgently required to achieve this aim. Expression of the Ru...

Inflammation and cardiac dysfunction during sepsis, muscular dystrophy, and myocarditis

Inflammation plays an important role in cardiac dysfunction under different situations. Acute systemic inflammation occurring in patients with severe burns, trauma, and inflammatory diseases causes cardiac dysfunction, which is one of the leading causes of mortality in these patients. Acute sepsis decreases cardiac contractility and impairs myocardial compliance. Chronic inflammation such as th...

Molecular Medicine MicroRNA Profiling Identifies MicroRNA-155 as an Adverse Mediator of Cardiac Injury and Dysfunction During Acute Viral Myocarditis

MicroRNA profiling identifies microRNA-155 as an adverse mediator of cardiac injury and dysfunction during acute viral myocarditis.

RATIONALE Viral myocarditis results from an adverse immune response to cardiotropic viruses, which causes irreversible myocyte destruction and heart failure in previously healthy people. The involvement of microRNAs and their usefulness as therapeutic targets in this process are unknown. OBJECTIVE To identify microRNAs involved in viral myocarditis pathogenesis and susceptibility. METHODS A...