MMP2 and Myocardial fibrosis: Ma et al. demonstrated that both aerobic (60 min/day, 4 weeks) and resistance exercises (75% of the maximum load, 4 weeks) could effectively suppress the TGF-β1-Smad2/3-MMP2/9 signaling pathway by enhancing the expression of FGF21, and then weaken myocardial fibrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in myocardial infarction mice, ultimately improving cardiac function [102].