Strikingly, mice with short-term diurnal disruptions after MI displayed worse heart functions 8 weeks after MI compared with mice without diurnal disruptions after MI.156 Short-term diurnal disruption post-MI also increased cardiac inflammatory cytokine Il6, Ccl2, and Ccl7 expressions 36 hours after MI and increased cardiac macrophage infiltration 3 and 7 days after MI. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and myocardial infarction.