Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Improved Generation of Induced Cardiomyocytes Using a Polycistronic Construct Expressing Optimal Ratio of Gata4, Mef2c and Tbx5
Published on: November 13, 2015
The TBX1 Transcription Factor in Cardiac Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction
Jesus Sánchez-Más1, Antonio Lax1, Mari Carmen Asensio-López1
1Servicio de Cardiología, Grupo de Investigación Clínica y Traslacional Cardiovascular, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Introduction And Objectives:
The transcription factor TBX1 plays an important role in the embryonic development of the heart. Nothing is known about its involvement in myocardial remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and whether its expression can be modulated by a treatment with proven benefit such as mineralocorticoid receptor blockade.
Methods:
Acute myocardial infarction was induced in 60 rats via left coronary artery ligation: 50 animals were randomized to be euthanized after 1, 2, 4, 12, or 24 weeks; 10 animals were treated with eplerenone (100 mg/kg/days) 7 days before the AMI until their euthanasia (4 weeks later); 8 additional animals underwent surgery without ligation (control). We analyzed the cardiac expression of TBX1, fetal genes, and fibrosis markers.
Results:
The gene and protein expression of TBX1 was increased in the infarcted myocardium, peaking 1 week after AMI (P < .01), without changes in the noninfarcted myocardium. Levels of the fetal genes and fibrosis markers also increased, peaking 4 weeks (P < .001) and 1 week (P < .01) after AMI, respectively. The TBX1 expression was correlated with that of the fibrosis markers (P < .01) but not the fetal genes. Eplerenone reduced the TBX1 increase and fibrosis induced by AMI, with an association improvement in ventricular function and remodeling in echocardiography.
Conclusions:
These results show the reactivated expression of TBX1 and indicate its involvement in cardiac fibrosis and remodeling after AMI and its participation in the benefit from mineralocorticoid receptor blockade.
