Deficiency of mouse mast cell protease 4 mitigates cardiac dysfunctions in mice after myocardium infarction

mMCP4-deficient mice showed smaller infarct size and improved cardiac functions 28 days post-myocardial infarction.

• mMCP4 expression was detected in cardiomyocytes from the infarct zone at 28 days after myocardial infarction.
• Deficiency of mMCP4 resulted in reduced macrophage content but increased T-cell accumulation in the infarct region.
• mMCP4-deficient mice exhibited reduced cardiomyocyte death and lower levels of certain pro-fibrotic and pro-apoptotic proteins in the infarct area.
• Activities of matrix metalloproteinases and levels of cysteinyl cathepsins were decreased in the myocardium of mMCP4-deficient mice.
• Despite these changes, collagen deposition and expression of α-smooth muscle actin remained unaffected in the infarct region.

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