title: Flavonoids and mitochondrial pharmacology: A new paradigm for cardioprotection.
abstract: Acute myocardial ischemia is one of the major causes of illness and of deaths in Western society; therefore the definition of the signaling pathways involved in the cardioprotection represents a challenging goal in order to discover novel pharmacological approaches. In this regard, a number of epidemiologic studies demonstrate a relationship between intake of flavonoid-rich foods and reduction of cardiovascular risk factors and mortality. Moreover, numerous experimental studies have examined flavonoid-induced cardioprotective effects on several animal models of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. As concerns the mechanisms of action, although the antioxidant effect of flavonoids has been long thought to be a crucial factor accounting for cardioprotection, mitochondrial pathways (ion channels, protein kinases, etc.) are presently emerging as specific pharmacological targets more relevantly involved in the anti-ischemic effects of some flavonoids. Since these pharmacodynamic features seem to be poorly considered, this review examines the mitochondrial role in the cardioprotective mechanisms of some members of this phytochemical class, by describing the biological pathways and reporting an overview of the most important experimental evidence in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno, 6-56100 Pisa, Italy; Interdepartmental Center of Nutraceutical Research and Food for Healthy "Nutrafood", Università di Pisa, via del Borghetto, 80-56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: lara.testai@farm.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Testai
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D005419:Flavonoids
keywords: Cardioprotection; Flavonoids; Mitochondrial pharmacology; Mitochondrial target