STAT3 and myocardial infarction: In our study, ALP unexpectedly compromised the effect of NAC in reducing plasma TNF-α, such that the plasma TNF-α in the D+N+A group was lower than that in the diabetic group but yet higher than that in the non-diabetic control or NAC treated diabetic group, which resulted in the most prominent myocardial STAT3 phosphorylation and reduction of postischemic myocardial infarction in the D+N+A group.