title: Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase and cardiac diseases.
abstract: Numerous conditions promote oxidative stress, leading to the build-up of reactive aldehydes that cause cell damage and contribute to cardiac diseases. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are important enzymes that eliminate toxic aldehydes by catalysing their oxidation to non-reactive acids. The review will discuss evidence indicating a role for a specific ALDH enzyme, the mitochondrial ALDH2, in combating oxidative stress by reducing the cellular 'aldehydic load'. Epidemiological studies in humans carrying an inactive ALDH2, genetic models in mice with altered ALDH2 levels, and small molecule activators of ALDH2 all highlight the role of ALDH2 in cardioprotection and suggest a promising new direction in cardiovascular research and the development of new treatments for cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5174, USA.
authors.forename: Che-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lihan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mochly-Rosen
mesh_terms: D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000201:enzymology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D007527:Isoenzymes; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; C515029:ALDH2 protein, mouse; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial