Angiogenesis and cardiac hypertrophy: maintenance of cardiac function and causative roles in heart failure

T Oka, H Akazawa, AT Naito, I Komuro - Circulation research, 2014 - Am Heart Assoc
T Oka, H Akazawa, AT Naito, I Komuro
Circulation research, 2014Am Heart Assoc
Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response to physiological and pathological overload. In
response to the overload, individual cardiac myocytes become mechanically stretched and
activate intracellular hypertrophic signaling pathways to re-use embryonic transcription
factors and to increase the synthesis of various proteins, such as structural and contractile
proteins. These hypertrophic responses increase oxygen demand and promote myocardial
angiogenesis to dissolve the hypoxic situation and to maintain cardiac contractile function; …
Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response to physiological and pathological overload. In response to the overload, individual cardiac myocytes become mechanically stretched and activate intracellular hypertrophic signaling pathways to re-use embryonic transcription factors and to increase the synthesis of various proteins, such as structural and contractile proteins. These hypertrophic responses increase oxygen demand and promote myocardial angiogenesis to dissolve the hypoxic situation and to maintain cardiac contractile function; thus, these responses suggest crosstalk between cardiac myocytes and microvasculature. However, sustained pathological overload induces maladaptation and cardiac remodeling, resulting in heart failure. In recent years, specific understanding has increased with regard to the molecular processes and cell–cell interactions that coordinate myocardial growth and angiogenesis. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of coordinated myocardial growth and angiogenesis in the pathophysiology of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
Am Heart Assoc