title: IRAK4 deficiency promotes cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interluekin1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4) plays an essential role in the innate immune system. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of IRAK4 in cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo studies were performed using IRAK4 heterozygous knockout (HET) mice and wild type (WT) mice. Models of cardiac remodeling were induced by aortic banding (AB). Cardiac remodeling was evaluated by Echocardiography and histological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IRAK4 was upregulated in hearts of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients and also pressure overload-induced mice hearts. IRAK4 HET mice exhibited exacerbated cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction and fibrosis after 4 weeks of AB compared with that in WT mice. Furthermore, enhanced activation of the MEK-ERK1/2, p38 and NFκB pathways was found in IRAK4 HET mice compared to WT mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that IRAK4 may play a crucial role in the development of cardiac remodeling via negative regulation of multiple signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Huawen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Zhouyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Haihan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Hongliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China; Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan UniversityWuhan, China.
authors.forename: Qizhu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
keywords: IRAK4; aortic banding; cardiac remodeling