STAT3 and myocardial ischemia: Notably, one study found that betaine exerted an anti-angiogenic activity in vivo and in vitro through the suppression of nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) and Akt activation (29), another study showed betaine attenuated isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial ischemia via the regulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and apoptotic pathways (30).