The findings that both hearts from mice with cardiac-restricted overexpression of CCN2 as well as hearts perfused with recombinant human CCN2 before ischemia or during onset of reperfusion display similar cardiac phenotypes, i.e. increased tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion injury, support the notion of a uniform action of CCN2 in these model systems. This evidence concerns the gene CCN2 and ischemia.