title: Calpain system and its involvement in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury.
abstract: Calpains are ubiquitous non-lysosomal Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine proteases also present in myocardial cytosol and mitochondria. Numerous experimental studies reveal an essential role of the calpain system in myocardial injury during ischemia, reperfusion and postischemic structural remodelling. The increasing Ca(2+)-content and Ca(2+)-overload in myocardial cytosol and mitochondria during ischemia and reperfusion causes an activation of calpains. Upon activation they are able to injure the contractile apparatus and impair the energy production by cleaving structural and functional proteins of myocytes and mitochondria. Besides their causal involvement in acute myocardial dysfunction they are also involved in structural remodelling after myocardial infarction by the generation and release of proapoptotic factors from mitochondria. Calpain inhibition can prevent or attenuate myocardial injury during ischemia, reperfusion, and in later stages of myocardial infarction.
authors: Christiane Neuhof, Heinz Neuhof, Department of Internal Medicine I, Cardiology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors: Christiane
authors: C
authors: Neuhof
authors: Christiane Neuhof, Heinz Neuhof, Department of Internal Medicine I, Cardiology, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors: Heinz
authors: H
authors: Neuhof
keywords: Calcium overload; Calpain; Calpain inhibition; Ischemia; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial injury; Remodelling; Reperfusion