(-)-Epicatechin induces physiological cardiac growth by activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in mice.

Scope: The flavanol (-)-epicatechin (Epi) has cardioprotective effects and improves physical capacity in normal mice. In addition, Epi increases nitric oxide (NO) production by activation of both PI3K/Akt or Ca /CaMI/CaMKII (where Akt is protein kinase B; PI3K is phosphoinositide 3-kinase; CaMI is calmodulin; CaMKII is Ca /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) signaling pathways, which have been associated with physiological and pathological cardiac hypertrophy, respectively. Notwithstanding all this information, few studies have been carried out that aimed to determine the potential beneficial effects that Epi may have in normal heart.