title: Does growth differentiation factor 11 protect against myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury? A hypothesis.
abstract: The pathogenesis of myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury is multifactorial. Understanding the mechanisms of myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion will benefit patients with ischaemic heart disease. Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), a member of the secreted transforming growth factor-β superfamily, has been found to reverse age-related hypertrophy, revealing the important role of GDF11 in cardiovascular disease. However, the functions of GDF11 in myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion have not been elucidated yet. A number of signalling molecules are known to occur downstream of GDF11, including mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3) and forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a). A hypothesis is presented that GDF11 has protective effects in acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury through suppression of oxidative stress, prevention of calcium ion overload and promotion of the elimination of abnormal mitochondria via both canonical (SMAD3) and non-canonical (FOXO3a) pathways. Since circulating GDF11 may mainly derive from the spleen, the lack of a spleen may make the myocardium susceptible to damaging insults. Administration of GDF11 may be an efficacious therapy to protect against cardiovascular diseases in splenectomized patients.
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Yongjian
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: 2 Department of Cardiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors: Xiong
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Du
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Juanni
authors: J
authors: Hou
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Feng
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Tian
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: He
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Xiuchuan
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: 1 Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors: Haifeng
authors: H
authors: Pei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055412:Growth Differentiation Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D055412:Growth Differentiation Factors
keywords: Myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion; growth differentiation factor 11; mitochondria