Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
07:15

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Published on: August 23, 2024

Protective effects of AMP-activated protein kinase in the cardiovascular system

Qiang Xu1, Liang-Yi Si

  • 1Department of Geriatrics, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
|September 30, 2010
PubMed

Insights

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a protective role in the cardiovascular system. Targeting the AMPK pathway may offer new therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Cardiovascular diseases are a leading global cause of death.
  • AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key energy sensor in cells.
  • AMPK is present in cardiovascular tissues and responds to energy deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of AMPK's roles in the cardiovascular system.
  • To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting the AMPK signaling pathway.
  • To discuss the interaction between AMPK and other cardiovascular signaling pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on AMPK in cardiovascular organs.
  • Analysis of AMPK's involvement in cardiovascular disease pathophysiology.
  • Discussion of AMPK's protective effects and signaling interactions.

Main Results:

  • AMPK activation is observed during energy deficit in cardiovascular organs.
  • AMPK demonstrates protective effects in the heart and vascular cells.
  • Dysfunction of the AMPK pathway is implicated in atherosclerosis, hypertension, and stroke.

Conclusions:

  • AMPK signaling is crucial for cardiovascular health and defense mechanisms.
  • Targeting AMPK offers potential therapeutic avenues for cardiovascular diseases.
  • Understanding AMPK's interactions with pathways like nitric oxide signaling is important.

More Related Videos

Characterizing Modulators of Protease-Activated Receptors with a Calcium Mobilization Assay Using a Plate Reader07:13

Characterizing Modulators of Protease-Activated Receptors with a Calcium Mobilization Assay Using a Plate Reader

Published on: May 24, 2024

Oligopeptide Competition Assay for Phosphorylation Site Determination09:16

Oligopeptide Competition Assay for Phosphorylation Site Determination

Published on: May 18, 2017

Related Concept Videos

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways01:25

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade01:22

Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor's intracellular domain changes shape, which may either activate its enzyme function or allow its binding to other molecules. The initial signal is amplified by most signal transduction pathways. This means that a single ligand molecule can activate multiple molecules of a downstream target. Proteins that relay a signal are most commonly phosphorylated at one or more sites, activating or inactivating the protein. Kinases catalyze the...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...