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Autophagy and cardiac diseases: Therapeutic potential of natural products
Xiaoqian Wu1, Zumei Liu2, Xi-Yong Yu1
1Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology and the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Insights
Dysfunctional autophagy in heart cells contributes to cardiac diseases. Natural compounds like resveratrol show potential for developing new cardiac therapies by modulating autophagy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cardiac diseases represent a growing global health challenge with significant socioeconomic impact.
- Autophagy, a cellular degradation process, is crucial for maintaining cardiac homeostasis and function.
- Disruptions in cardiomyocyte autophagy are implicated in various heart conditions, including hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of autophagy in cardiac diseases.
- To explore the pharmacological basis and therapeutic potential of natural products in modulating autophagy for cardiac conditions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on autophagy in cardiac pathophysiology.
- Analysis of research on natural products (e.g., resveratrol, berberine, curcumin) and their effects on cardiomyocyte autophagy.
- Evaluation of the therapeutic potential of these compounds in preclinical and clinical settings.
Main Results:
- Evidence links dysregulated autophagy to key cardiac pathologies.
- Several natural products demonstrate the ability to modulate cardiomyocyte autophagy through diverse molecular pathways.
- These compounds offer a promising avenue for novel therapeutic strategies.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy is a critical regulator of cardiac health and a viable therapeutic target.
- Natural products with autophagy-modifying properties hold significant potential for treating cardiac diseases.
- Further research into these phytochemicals could lead to innovative pharmacological interventions for cardiovascular conditions.
Abstract:
The global incidence of cardiac diseases is expected to increase in the coming years, imposing a substantial socioeconomic burden on healthcare systems. Autophagy is a tightly regulated lysosomal degradation mechanism important for cell survival, homeostasis, and function. Accumulating pieces of evidence have indicated a major role of autophagy in the regulation of cardiac homeostasis and function. It is well established that dysregulation of autophagy in cardiomyocytes is involved in cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. In this sense, autophagy seems to be an attractive therapeutic target for cardiac diseases. Recently, multiple natural products/phytochemicals, such as resveratrol, berberine, and curcumin have been shown to regulate cardiomyocyte autophagy via different pathways. The autophagy-modifying capacity of these compounds should be taken into consideration for designing novel therapeutic agents. This review focuses on the role of autophagy in various cardiac diseases and the pharmacological basis and therapeutic potential of reported natural products in cardiac diseases by modifying autophagic processes.
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