Endothelial Cell–Derived Endothelin-1 Promotes Cardiac Fibrosis in Diabetic Hearts Through Stimulation of Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract

These results provide new insights suggesting that diabetes mellitus-induced cardiac fibrosis is associated with the emergence of fibroblasts from endothelial cells and that this endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition process is stimulated by ET-1. Targeting endothelial cell-derived ET-1 might be beneficial in the prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy.