Surprisingly, enhanced initiation of autophagy by over-expressing Beclin 1 Tg mice manifested an amplified cardiotoxic response, and Beclin 1 heterozygous deletion mice (Beclin 1+/−) showed protection from myocardial structural and functional changes in the chronic Dox cardiomyopathy model12. This evidence concerns the gene BECN1 and cardiomyopathy.