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Considering impact of age and sex on cardiac cytoskeletal components
Timothy L M Jones1, Kathleen C Woulfe1
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States.
Insights
Cardiac cytoskeletal changes with age impact heart function, with distinct sex differences. Understanding these modifications may lead to personalized therapies for aging hearts.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Cellular Aging
- Molecular Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiac cytoskeletal proteins are crucial for cardiomyocyte contraction, structure, and signaling.
- Age-related changes in the cardiac cytoskeleton contribute to cardiac dysfunction.
- Sex differences in cardiac aging are significant but mechanistically unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review age-related modifications of key cardiomyocyte cytoskeletal components.
- To summarize known sex-specific differences in cardiac cytoskeletal aging.
- To explore how age and sex influence cytoskeletal function in the heart.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on cardiac aging and cytoskeletal components.
- Analysis of research investigating sex differences in cardiac aging.
- Synthesis of current knowledge on cardiomyocyte cytoskeleton modifications.
Main Results:
- Specific cytoskeletal components undergo age-dependent alterations in the heart.
- Significant sex-based variations exist in how the cardiac cytoskeleton ages.
- These age- and sex-related changes impact overall cardiac function.
Conclusions:
- Age and sex are critical factors in cardiac cytoskeletal remodeling.
- Further research into these differences can inform targeted therapeutic strategies.
- Personalized approaches considering both age and sex may improve cardiac care.
Abstract:
The cardiac cytoskeletal components are integral to cardiomyocyte function and are responsible for contraction, sustaining cell structure, and providing scaffolding to direct signaling. Cytoskeletal components have been implicated in cardiac pathology; however, less attention has been paid to age-related modifications of cardiac cytoskeletal components and how these contribute to dysfunction with increased age. Moreover, significant sex differences in cardiac aging have been identified, but we still lack a complete understanding to the mechanisms behind these differences. This review summarizes what is known about how key cardiomyocyte cytoskeletal components are modified because of age, as well as reported sex-specific differences. Thorough consideration of both age and sex as integral players in cytoskeletal function may reveal potential avenues for more personalized therapeutics.
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