Retraction: 'The protease inhibitor UCF-101 ameliorates streptozotocin-induced mouse cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction in vitro: role of AMP-activated protein kinase'.

Retraction: [Qun Li, The protease inhibitor UCF-101 ameliorates streptozotocin-induced mouse cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction in vitro: role of AMP-activated protein kinase, Experimental Physiology 2009, 94(9), pp. 984-994. (https://doi.org/10.1113/expphysiol.2009.049189)]. The above article, published online on 14 August 2009 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the corresponding author, the journal Editor-in-Chief Professor Mike Tipton, The Physiological Society, and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed following an institutional investigation by the University of Wyoming. This investigation cited data irregularities, image reuse, and manipulation in a number of figures, specifically: Re-use of α-tubulin blot of Figure 7A in 7C, as well as reuse of α-tubulin blot of Figure 7B in 7D. Re-sizing and re-use of α-tubulin bands of Figure 3A in Figure 5A. α-tubulin reported within two distinct sets of AMPK and pAMPK data in Figure 5A. These concerns were put to the corresponding author, who confirmed that loading controls had been reused inappropriately throughout the manuscript, albeit accidentally. The corresponding author resupplied Western blot images and data, but these could not be verified. The extent of image reuse and inappropriate use of controls significantly undermined confidence in the paper's data and subsequent conclusions. This retraction includes the corrigendum published online on 04 February 2016 (https://doi.org/10.1113/EP085709). Corresponding author JR agreed to this retraction. QL and LKH could not be reached. REFERENCES Li, Q., Hueckstaedt, L. K., & Ren, J. (2009). The protease inhibitor UCF-101 ameliorates streptozotocin-induced mouse cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction in vitro: role of AMP-activated protein kinase. Experimental Physiology, 94(9), 984-994. https://doi.org/10.1113/expphysiol.2009.049189 (2016). Corrigendum. Experimental Physiology, 101(3), 451-451. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP085709.