title: Is AMPK the savior of the failing heart?
abstract: Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of death, affecting more than 20 million people worldwide. A vast array of pathophysiological and molecular events contributes to the development and eventual worsening of HF. Of these, defects in myocardial metabolic processes that normally result in proper ATP production necessary to maintain contractile function appear to be a major contributor to HF pathogenesis. A key player involved in regulating myocardial metabolism is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a major regulatory kinase controlling numerous metabolic pathways. Here, we review the metabolic changes that occur in HF, what role alterations in energy metabolism has in its progression, and the involvement of AMPK in this context.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Centre, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 458 Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada.
authors.forename: Ty T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Centre, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 458 Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada. Electronic address: jason.dyck@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Jason R B
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dyck
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012265:Ribonucleotides; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide; D008687:Metformin; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; C031143:AICA ribonucleotide
keywords: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK); cardiac metabolism; myocardial ATP production; systolic heart failure