Publication
Title
Autophagy in the cardiovascular system
Author
Abstract
Autophagy is a catabolic pathway for bulk turnover of long-lived proteins and organelles via lysosomal degradation. Growing evidence reveals that autophagy is involved in the progression or prevention of many human diseases. Here we discuss the role of autophagy in the normal heart, in heart disease and atherosclerosis. In the heart, autophagy functions predominantly as a pro-survival pathway during cellular stress by removing protein aggregates and damaged organelles, protecting the heart against famine, excessive â-adrenergic stimulation and ischemia. However, when severely triggered, e.g. during reperfusion, the autophagic machinery may lead to cell death. Furthermore, autophagy modulates cardiac hypertrophy and the transition from hypertrophy to heart failure. During aging, lipofuscin is formed via autophagy in the heart and impairs autophagy. Basal autophagy in atherosclerotic plaques is a survival mechanism safeguarding plaque cells against cellular distress, in particular oxidative injury, metabolic stress and inflammation, by removing harmful oxidatively modified proteins and damaged components. Hence, autophagy is anti-apoptotic and contributes to cellular recovery in an adverse environment. However, excessively stimulated autophagy causes autophagic death in plaque cells and is detrimental. Ceroid that is formed via autophagy in atherosclerotic arteries impairs autophagy and induces apoptosis. Basal autophagy can be intensified by appropriate drugs and pharmacological approaches have been developed to stabilize rupture-prone plaques through selective induction of macrophage autophagic death, without affecting the plaque stabilizing smooth muscle cells.
Language
French
Source (journal)
Biochimica et biophysica acta : molecular cell research. - Amsterdam, 1982, currens
Publication
Amsterdam : Elsevier , 2009
ISSN
0167-4889 [print]
1879-2596 [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.BBAMCR.2008.12.011
Volume/pages
1793 :9 (2009) , p. 1485-1495
ISI
000270469400012
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.09.2009
Last edited 25.05.2022
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