Epigenetic Mechanisms in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Functional Implications of DNA and Histone Methylation

Author:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as key regulators of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) pathophysiology, fine tuning gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Among these mechanisms, DNA methylation and histone modifications play pivotal roles in inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. During AMI and atherosclerosis, dysregulated expression of genes such as CREG, FOXP3, VEGF, BCL2, and NOS3 has been documented, driven by enzymes including DNMT3B and TET proteins. Likewise, histone methylation at residues H3K4, H3K9, and H3K27 modulates transcriptional activity in vascular cells under the control of enzymatic complexes such as EZH2 and G9a. This mini review analyses how these epigenetic mechanisms contribute to ischemic injury and highlight their relevance to the molecular understanding of AMI.

This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit: