The pro-inflammatory actions of c-fos are associated with myocardial damage and cell infiltration in the CVB3 myocarditis mouse model [48]; however, in our study, c-fos expression was downregulated in the hearts of male mice with chronic myocarditis, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect in chronic myocarditis, since c-fos also promotes anti-inflammatory actions [49]. Here, FOS is linked to myocarditis.