α11 integrin stimulates myofibroblast differentiation in diabetic cardiomyopathy

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is characterized by the production of a disorganized fibrotic matrix in the absence of coronary atherosclerosis and hypertension. We examined whether adhesion of cardiac fibroblasts to glycated collagens mediates the differentiation of pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts, which may contribute to cardiac fibrosis. By microarray, we found that methylglyoxal-treated collagen selectively enhanced α11 integrin expression in human...