TGFB1 and cardiac hypertrophy: An early myocardial response is an increase in cardiac Angiotensin II (Ang II) protein levels, that via binding to its receptor, AT1-R, signals to induce cardiac hypertrophy or stimulates transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression in the myocardium, which also promotes hypertrophic responses in the heart (Takahashi et al., 1994; Fisher and Absher, 1995; Varagic and Frohlich, 2002).