Western-blot analysis revealed that the protein levels of BAX, cleaved caspase 3, CHOP, and cleaved PARP1 were all increased in KO mice (Fig. 7C), whereas those of BCL2 were not, overall suggesting that cardiomyocyte apoptosis was upregulated in the heart of these mice and, therefore, it could hardly contribute to cardiac hypertrophy. This evidence concerns the gene DDIT3 and cardiac hypertrophy.