In response to myocardial IR, diabetes further depressed BAG3/Bcl-2/Nrf-2/HO-1 expression, increased cleaved-caspase 3/poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)/TUNEL-mediated apoptosis and exacerbated IR-induced left ventricular dysfunction characterized by further depressed microcirculation, heart rate, left ventricular systolic pressure and peak rate of pressure increase/decrease (±dp/dt) and elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and Evans blue-2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride-stained infarct size in diabetic hearts. The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is diabetes mellitus.