Cytokine receptor gp130 promotes postnatal proliferation of cardiomyocytes required for the normal functional development of the heart

Abstract

Although cardiomyocytes undergo proliferation in the early postnatal period, the regulatory mechanisms and physiological importance of this process have not been clarified. We found that the pharmacological and genetic depletion of gp130 or the neutralization of IL-6 with an antibody in preweaning mice resulted in significant impairment of cardiomyocyte proliferation, thinning of the myocardium, and systolic dysfunction of the left but not right ventricle by perturbing JAK/STAT3 signaling. Thus, the IL-6/gp130/JAK/STAT3 axis is crucial for the postnatal functional development of the left ventricle.