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Normal and abnormal consequences of apoptosis in the human heart

T N James1

  • 1World Health Organization Cardiovascular Center, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0129, USA. jandee@utmb.edu

Annual Review of Physiology
|April 29, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is crucial for heart development and function. It plays a role in both beneficial processes like cardiac morphogenesis and detrimental conditions such as arrhythmias and heart disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is increasingly recognized as vital for understanding cardiac structure and function.
  • The human heart undergoes significant postnatal morphogenesis and intermittent developmental processes throughout life.
  • The precise triggers and regulation of these cardiac developmental events remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of apoptosis in normal cardiac development and disease.
  • To highlight examples of beneficial and destructive roles of apoptosis in the heart.
  • To underscore the importance of apoptosis in various cardiac pathologies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on apoptosis in cardiac development and disease.
  • Analysis of examples of normal cardiac morphogenesis mediated by apoptosis.
  • Examination of pathological cardiac conditions where apoptosis is a key factor.

Main Results:

  • Apoptosis mediates normal morphogenesis of the cardiac conduction system.
  • Apoptosis is involved in the normal postnatal involution of the right ventricle.
  • Apoptosis is implicated in the pathogenesis of familial heart block, long QT syndrome, Uhl's anomaly, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptosis is a fundamental mechanism in cardiac development, contributing to both normal structure and function.
  • Dysregulation of apoptosis is linked to severe cardiac arrhythmias and structural anomalies.
  • Further research into apoptosis regulation is essential for understanding and treating cardiac diseases.

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