Endothelium-derived neuregulin protects the heart against ischemic injury.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Removal of cardiac endothelial cells (EC) has been shown to produce significant detrimental effects on the function of adjacent cardiac myocytes, suggesting that EC play a critical role in autocrine/paracrine regulation of the heart. Despite this important observation, the mediators of the protective function of EC remain obscure. Neuregulin (NRG, a member of the epidermal growth factor family) is produced by EC and cardiac myocytes contain receptors (erbB) for this ligand. We hypothesized that NRG is an essential factor produced by EC, which promotes cardioprotection against ischemic injury.

Methods and results

We demonstrate that human cardiac EC express and release NRG in response to hypoxia-reoxygenation. Under conditions where hypoxia--reoxygenation causes si

SUBMITTER: Hedhli N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3104502 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature