Inhibition of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Improves Tolerance to Ischemia in Hypertrophied Hearts

Regulatory inhibition of GSK-3β by Akt-1 in hypertrophied hearts is impaired, leading to activation during ischemia. Inhibition of GSK-3β by Li or IMI improves tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion injury in hypertrophied myocardium. The likely protective mechanism is an increase in insulin-mediated glucose uptake, resulting in greater substrate availability for glycolysis during ischemia and early reperfusion.