American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. · Aug 2013
ReviewRole of mitochondrial dysfunction and altered autophagy in cardiovascular aging and disease: from mechanisms to therapeutics.
Advanced age is associated with a disproportionate prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Intrinsic alterations in the heart and the vasculature occurring over the life course render the cardiovascular system more vulnerable to various stressors in late life, ultimately favoring the development of CVD. Several lines of evidence indicate mitochondrial dysfunction as a major contributor to cardiovascular senescence. ⋯ The involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular conditions especially prevalent in late life and the emerging connections with neurodegeneration are also illustrated. Special emphasis is placed on recent discoveries on the role played by alterations in mitochondrial dynamics (fusion and fission), mitophagy, and their interconnections in the context of age-related CVD and endothelial dysfunction. Finally, we discuss pharmacological interventions targeting mitochondrial dysfunction to delay cardiovascular aging and manage CVD.
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Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. · Aug 2013
Comparative StudyDistinct loading conditions reveal various patterns of right ventricular adaptation.
Right ventricular (RV) failure due to chronically abnormal loading is a main determinant of outcome in pulmonary hypertension (PH) and congenital heart disease. However, distinct types of RV loading have been associated with different outcomes. To determine whether the adaptive RV response depends on loading type, we compared hemodynamics, exercise, and hypertrophy in models of pressure overload due to pulmonary artery banding (PAB), pressure overload due to PH, combined pressure and volume overload, and isolated volume load. ⋯ Additional volume overload strongly enhanced hypertrophy in PH. We conclude that different types of loading result in distinct patterns of RV adaptation. This is of importance for the approach to patients with chronically increased RV load and for experimental studies in various types of RV failure.