Apoptosis and the heart: a brief review.
Cardiomyopathies are observed with increasing frequency in association with AIDS and HIV infection. Although indirect evidence exists suggesting an association between apoptosis regulation and HIV infection, there is yet no direct evidence that HIV-associated cardiomyopathies involve increased level of apoptosis in the heart. However, since it is now known that apoptosis plays a significant role in heart injury associated with other conditions such as ischemia/reperfusion and heart failure, there is a possibility that dysregulation of apoptosis plays a similarly important role in HIV-associate cardiomyopathies. Here we will briefly review the evidence that apoptotic death of cardiomyocytes occurs and what novel therapeutic strategies may be suggested.
Tomei
L D
LD
Xenomics Inc., Richmond, California 94805, USA. ldtomei@xenomics.net
Umansky
S R
SR
D017209:Apoptosis; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D016923:Cell Death; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction