Cardiac-specific overexpression of metallothionein attenuates myocardial remodeling and contractile dysfunction in l-NAME-induced experimental hypertension: Role of autophagy regulation

Hypertension is an independent risk factor for heart disease and is responsible for the increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress plays a key role in hypertensive heart diseases although the precise mechanism remains unclear. This study was designed to examine the effect of cardiac-specific overexpression of metallothionein, a cysteine-rich antioxidant, on myocardial contractile and intracellular Ca(2+) anomalies in...