Signaling mediators modulated by cardioprotective interventions in healthy and diabetic myocardium with ischaemia–reperfusion injury

Ischaemic heart diseases are one of the major causes of death in the world. In most patients, ischaemic heart disease is coincident with other risk factors such as diabetes. Patients with diabetes are more prone to cardiac ischaemic dysfunctions including ischaemia–reperfusion injury. Ischaemic preconditioning, postconditioning and remote conditionings are reliable interventions to protect the myocardium against ischaemia–reperfusion injuries through activating various signaling pathways and intracellular mediators. Diabetes can disrupt the intracellular signaling cascades involved in these myocardial protections, and studies have revealed that cardioprotective effects of the conditioning interventions are diminished in the diabetic condition. The complex pathophysiology and poor prognosis of ischaemic heart disease among people with diabetes necessitate the investigation of the interaction of diabetes with ischaemia–reperfusion injury and cardioprotective mechanisms. Reducing the outcomes of ischaemia–reperfusion injury using targeted strategies would be particularly helpful in this population. In this study, we review the protective interventional signaling pathways and mediators which are activated by ischaemic conditioning strategies in healthy and diabetic myocardium with ischaemia–reperfusion injury.