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Cardiac autophagy is a maladaptive response to hemodynamic stress

Hongxin Zhu1, Paul Tannous, Janet L Johnstone

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine and Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8573, USA.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation
|July 4, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, is significantly increased in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Modulating autophagy via Beclin 1 impacts pathological remodeling, suggesting it as a therapeutic target.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Medicine

Background:

  • Cardiac hypertrophy predicts heart failure and high mortality.
  • Mechanisms linking stable hypertrophy to decompensated heart failure remain unclear.
  • Autophagy, a cellular degradation pathway, is implicated in cell death.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of autophagy in the transition from cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure.
  • To quantify autophagic activity in response to pressure overload in the heart.
  • To determine the impact of Beclin 1, a key autophagy protein, on pathological cardiac remodeling.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered "autophagy reporter" mice to quantify autophagic activity in vivo.
  • Induced pressure overload via aortic banding in mice.
  • Assessed autophagic activity and pathological remodeling.
  • Manipulated Beclin 1 gene expression (heterozygous disruption and overexpression).

Main Results:

  • Pressure overload significantly increased cardiac autophagy, peaking at 48 hours and sustained for weeks.
  • Autophagic activity was notably higher in the basal septum.
  • Reduced autophagy (Beclin 1 disruption) diminished pathological remodeling.
  • Increased autophagy (Beclin 1 overexpression) accentuated pathological remodeling.

Conclusions:

  • Autophagy plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of load-induced heart failure.
  • Autophagy is implicated in the progression of cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure.
  • Autophagy represents a potential therapeutic target for heart failure treatment.

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