Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiac Hypertrophy and Heart Failure
Автор:Thomas von Lueder Год: 2011 Издание:LAP Lambert Academic Publishing Страниц: 56 ISBN: 9783844381993 Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of death worldwide. Remodeling of the heart plays an important role in the development of HF. Activiation of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) in HF has multiple adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Dr. von Lueder et. al. identified the lungs as a major source of increased ET-1 levels in a HF model. Pulmonary congestion increased the number of inflammatory cells as well as ET-1 production. When HF animals were treated with a macrophage blocker in follow-up experiments, ET-1 levels were reduced and, importantly, cardiac function improved. Important aspects of cardiac function are controlled by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). GPCR signaling is shut off by a small group of enzymes called GRKs. In genetically-engineered mice (GRK3ct), GRK3 inhibition enhanced cardiac function, presumably through continuous ?-adrenergic signaling. Importantly, GRK3ct mice were prevented from HF when subjected to sustained severe cardiac stress for up...
