Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
Mouse Electroacupuncture Fixation Device Fabrication for Electroacupuncture Pretreatment in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Mouse Model
Published on: April 18, 2025
The Role of p38 MAPK in the Development of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Shudong Wang1, Lijuan Ding2, Honglei Ji3
1Cardiovascular Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China. wangshudong816@163.com.
Abstract:
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication of diabetes that contributes to an increase in mortality. A number of mechanisms potentially explain the development of DCM including oxidative stress, inflammation and extracellular fibrosis. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated signaling pathways are common among these pathogenic responses. Among the diverse array of kinases, extensive attention has been given to p38 MAPK due to its capacity for promoting or inhibiting the translation of target genes. Growing evidence has indicated that p38 MAPK is aberrantly expressed in the cardiovascular system, including the heart, under both experimental and clinical diabetic conditions and, furthermore, inhibition of p38 MAPK activation in transgenic animal model or with its pharmacologic inhibitor significantly prevents the development of DCM, implicating p38 MAPK as a novel diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target for DCM. This review summarizes our current knowledge base to provide an overview of the impact of p38 MAPK signaling in diabetes-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction.
Insights
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) involves heart dysfunction due to diabetes. Targeting p38 MAPK, a key signaling pathway, shows promise for preventing and treating DCM.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Metabolic Disorders
- Molecular Signaling
Background:
- Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) significantly increases mortality in diabetic patients.
- Pathogenic mechanisms include oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis.
- Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are implicated in these responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of p38 MAPK signaling in diabetes-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction.
- To highlight p38 MAPK as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for DCM.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on p38 MAPK in diabetic conditions.
- Analysis of experimental and clinical data on p38 MAPK expression and function in the heart.
- Examination of studies involving p38 MAPK inhibition in DCM models.
Main Results:
- Aberrant p38 MAPK expression is observed in the cardiovascular system of diabetic subjects.
- Inhibition of p38 MAPK activation prevents DCM development in animal models.
- p38 MAPK plays a critical role in diabetes-induced cardiac remodeling.
Conclusions:
- p38 MAPK signaling is a key mediator of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
- Targeting p38 MAPK offers a potential therapeutic strategy for DCM.
- p38 MAPK may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker for DCM.
