Zinc pyrithione inhibits caspase-3 activity, promotes ErbB1-ErbB2 heterodimerization and suppresses ErbB2 downregulation in cardiomyocytes subjected to ischemia/reperfusion

Zinc pyrithione effectively suppresses the caspase activation and proteolytic cleavage of cell surface receptor tyrosine kinase, ErbB2. It further enhances the phosphorylation and activation of receptor tyrosine kinases ErbB1 and ErbB2. Zinc pyrithione thus improves the cardiomyocyte survival during hypoxia/reoxygenation through regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases.92