GJA1 and ischemia: In this context, the robust and highly reproducible protective effect against IR-induced cell death afforded by ischemic preconditioning [(IPC), i.e., brief cycles of transient ischemia before an index ischemia] enhances the translocation of Cx43 to mitochondria in the hearts of mouse, rats and pigs (Boengler et al., 2005; Rodriguez-Sinovas et al., 2006; Sun et al., 2015).