Mitochondria! Function-a Limiting Factor in Heart Failure?

摘要

Summary. Mitochondria are the major sources of energy for contraction in the heart, generating ATP from oxidative processes. The metabolic adaptations that occur in cardiac hypertrophy cause a switch in substrate provision from fatty acid to glucose oxidation. These modifications, together with depletion in critical cofactors and altered gene expression, may jeopardise mitochondrial function, resulting in apoptosis and cell loss. The progressive nature of these adaptations may underlie the transition from hypertrophy to heart failure.