Acute myocardial infarction and heart failure: role of apoptosis.
Apoptosis is a key pathologic feature in acute myocardial infarction and heart failure. Experimental animal studies have shown beneficial effects of inhibiting apoptosis. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the apoptotic cascade may be useful in better understanding of heart failure and its management. Not only in vivo detection of apoptosis may prove clinically useful in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with ischemic heart disease, but anti-apoptotic treatments (specific and non-specific) may be effective in the prevention and treatment of post-infarction remodelling and heart failure.
Abbate
Antonio
A
Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. abbatea@yahoo.com
Bussani
Rossana
R
Amin
Mitesh S
MS
Vetrovec
George W
GW
Baldi
Alfonso
A
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*