Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

Liver-Mediated Myocardial Protection in Experimental Myocardial Infarction

Shu Q. Liu, Brandon J. Tefft and Bo Dong

Myocardial ischemia activates innate cardioprotective mechanisms, including expression of growth factors, activation of cardiac resident stem cells and mobilization of bone marrow cells to the ischemic myocardium, which alleviate ischemic injury and promote cardiomyocyte regeneration. This review addresses a newly recognized cardioprotective mechanism involving the liver. Myocardial ischemia induces liver responses, including mobilization of hepatic cells to the circulatory system and upregulation of hepatic secretory proteins, such as fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3). The mobilized hepatic cells either engraft to the ischemic myocardium or disintegrate in the circulatory system, facilitating delivery of the hepatic secretory proteins. These proteins contribute to myocardial protection, alleviating myocardial infarction. These investigations provide new information for understanding the innate cardioprotective mechanisms and developing therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction.