Cardioprotective Effects of Intrinsic STAT3 in Subacute MI

While STAT3 has been shown to protect the heart post myocardial infarction during cardiac remodeling, is persistent activation of the STAT3 gene protecting or hurting the heart? In the English version of this dual language podcast, Associate Editor Junichi Sadoshima (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School) interviews lead author Yasushi Fujio (Osaka University) and content expert Yasuko Bando (Nagoya University) about the innovative work by Enomoto et al, in which Fujio and his collaborators created cardiac-specific conditional STAT3 knockout mice designed to knockout STAT3 only after myocardial infarction. In STAT3 null mice, ROS production increased, which then lead to a cascade of negative effects, first inducing cardiac hypertrophy, then suppressing angiogenesis. Is suppression of superoxide production the primary cardioprotective pathway of STAT3? Listen to learn more.

Daichi Enomoto, Masanori Obana, Akimitsu Miyawaki, Makiko Maeda, Hiroyuki Nakayama, Yasushi Fujio Cardiac-specific ablation of the STAT3 gene in the subacute phase of myocardial infarction exacerbated cardiac remodeling Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published August 1, 2015, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00730.2014.