Does transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) reduce cardiac injury in a model of myocardial ischemia?
TGF-beta prevents severe cardiac injury in myocardial ischemia, potentially by alleviating damage mediated by increases in circulating TNF.
Myocardial ischemia causes heart injury that is characterized by an increase in circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF), the local production of superoxide anions, the loss of coronary vasodilation (relaxation) in response to agents that release endothelial cell relaxation factor, and cardiac tissue damage. Ischemic injury can be mimicked by TNF. When given before or immediately after ischemic injury, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) reduced the amount of superoxide anions in the coronary circulation, maintained endothelial-dependent coronary relaxation, and reduced injury mediated by exogenous TNF. Thus, TGF-beta prevented severe cardiac injury, perhaps by alleviating damage mediated by increases in circulating TNF.
Lefer et al. (Fri,) studied this question.