"Heart-breaking" Starvation Response
"NEWARK, N.J. -- A protective response to starvation may promote heart
failure, according to a study just published in Cell Metabolism. Two
proteins that team up to conserve energy when food is scarce also limit
energy production in the heart—a situation that can prove fatal when
the heart is stressed and in need of an energy boost.
During starvation, the body conserves energy by slowing down the cell’s
powerhouse organelles, the mitochondria. This slackens the function
of the vital organs, including the heart, thus preserving available energy
and prolonging survival. Junichi Sadoshima, MD, PhD, and colleagues
at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-New
Jersey Medical School have discovered that two proteins, called PPAR-
alpha and Sirt1, are induced by starvation in mice and turn off the
expression of genes involved in mitochondrial function and heart
contraction.
When the heart is stressed, it requires extra energy to maintain heart beat
and blood pressure. Unfortunately, however, expression of PPAR-
alpha and Sirt1 was also increased in stressed hearts, thus restricting
energy just when the heart needs it most. If the same holds true in
humans, it may be beneficial to target these proteins in patients with heart
failure..."
By Rob Forman
11-01-11
Full Article
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