Comprehensive Analysis of Mitochondrial Dynamics Alterations in Heart Diseases

The most common alterations affecting mitochondria, and associated with cardiac pathological conditions, implicate a long list of defects. They include impairments of the mitochondrial electron transport chain activity, which is a crucial element for energy formation, and that determines the depletion of ATP generation and supply to metabolic switches, enhanced ROS generation, inflammation, as well as the dysregulation of the intracellular calcium homeostasis. All these signatures significantly concur in the impairment of cardiac electrical characteristics, loss of myocyte contractility and cardiomyocyte damage found in cardiac diseases. Mitochondrial dynamics, one of the quality control mechanisms at the basis of mitochondrial fitness, also result in being dysregulated, but the use of this knowledge for translational and therapeutic purposes is still in its infancy. In this review we tried to understand why this is, by summarizing methods, current opinions and molecular details underlying mitochondrial dynamics in cardiac diseases.

Automated summary

The most common alterations affecting mitochondria in cardiac pathological conditions include impairments of the electron transport chain activity, leading to a decrease in energy formation and ATP generation, as well as increased ROS generation and inflammation. These alterations contribute to the impairment of cardiac electrical characteristics, loss of myocyte contractility, and cardiomyocyte damage. The dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics, which plays a role in maintaining mitochondrial fitness, is also observed in cardiac diseases. However, the translation and therapeutic applications of this knowledge are still in the early stages.