Background
Interluekin1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4) plays an essential role in the innate immune system. The
Conclusion
Our results suggest that IRAK4 may play a crucial role in the development of cardiac remodeling via negative regulation of multiple signaling pathways.
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.