Moreover, overexpression of HIF-1α during myocardial infarction was recently associated with significant downregulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis by promoting the HO-1-induced antioxidant response [43] and stimulating BNIP3-mediated mitochondrial autophagy, which plays an essential role in cardiac cell protection [44]. Here, BNIP3 is linked to myocardial infarction.