BDNF and acute myocardial infarction: Hiltunen et al. (2001) noted that bdnf mRNA levels doubled in the ischemic region, but this induction lasted only 9 h before returning to baseline. In situ analysis suggested that injured myocytes were the source of bdnf and this was hypothesized to play a role in innervation or sensory nerve function. More recent studies demonstrate an induction of BDNF and proBDNF protein in the hearts of mice subjected to left coronary artery occlusion, and increased plasma BDNF in patients following acute myocardial infarction(Hang et al., 2015; Figure 3).