Organelle dynamics of endothelial mitochondria in diabetic angiopathy

Diabetes, a chronic non-communicable disease, has become one of the most serious and critical public health problems with increasing incidence trends. Chronic vascular complications are the major causes of disability and death in diabetic patients with endothelial dysfunction. Diabetes is intimately associated with endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction, indicated by increased oxidative stress, decreased biogenesis, increased DNA damage, and weakened autophagy in mitochondria. All these morphological and functional changes of mitochondria play important roles in diabetic endothelial dysfunction. Herein, we reviewed the roles and mechanisms of endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction, particularly mitochondrial dynamics in the vascular complications of diabetes and summarized the potential mitochondria-targeted therapies in diabetic vascular complications.