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Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Cardiac Adaptation to Exercise
Rick B Vega1, John P Konhilas2, Daniel P Kelly1
1Center for Metabolic Origins of Disease, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute at Lake Nona, Orlando, FL 32827, USA.
Cell Metabolism
|May 4, 2017
Summary
Regular exercise promotes heart remodeling and adaptive molecular changes. Understanding these physiologic adaptations can inform treatments for heart conditions like heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Exercise physiology and cardiovascular adaptation.
- Molecular and cellular biology of cardiac remodeling.
Background:
- Exercise triggers immediate and long-term multi-organ responses, notably in the heart.
- Physiologic cardiac growth from exercise differs from pathological growth due to conditions like hypertension.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the structural and functional cardiac adaptations to exercise.
- To review signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying exercise-induced cardiac remodeling.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific literature on exercise and cardiac function.
- Analysis of molecular and cellular responses to different exercise stimuli.
Main Results:
- Exercise increases cardiac output short-term and induces adaptive cardiac growth long-term.
- Signaling pathways like insulin-like growth factor 1/PI3K/Akt mediate exercise responses.
- Physiologic cardiac growth pathways may antagonize pathological pathways.
Conclusions:
- Exercise-induced cardiac remodeling involves specific molecular and cellular reprogramming.
- Understanding these adaptations can guide therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases.
- Exercise training is beneficial for patients with chronic stable heart failure or post-myocardial infarction.
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