Mitochondrial dysfunction and heart disease: Critical appraisal of an overlooked association

Giandomenico Bisaccia, Fabrizio Ricci, Sabina Gallina, Angela Di Baldassarre, Barbara Ghinassi

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

The myocardium is among the most energy-consuming tissues in the body, burning from 6 to 30 kg of ATP per day within the mitochondria, the so-called powerhouse of the cardiomyocyte. Although mitochondrial genetic disorders account for a small portion of cardiomyopathies, mitochondrial dysfunction is commonly involved in a broad spectrum of heart diseases, and it has been implicated in the development of heart failure via maladaptive circuits producing and perpetuating mitochondrial stress and energy starvation. In this bench-to-bedside review, we aimed to (i) describe the key functions of the mitochondria within the myocardium, including their role in ischemia/reperfusion injury and intracellular calcium homeostasis; (ii) examine the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to multiple cardiac disease phenotypes and their transition to heart failure; and (iii) discuss the rationale and current evidence for targeting mitochondrial function for the treatment of heart failure, including via sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number614
Number of pages19
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume22
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

Free keywords

  • Cardiac energetics
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Heart failure
  • Mitochondria
  • Mitochondrial dynamics

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