title: Mitochondrial Mechanisms in Septic Cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Sepsis is the manifestation of the immune and inflammatory response to infection that may ultimately result in multi organ failure. Despite the therapeutic strategies that have been used up to now, sepsis and septic shock remain a leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Myocardial dysfunction is a well-described complication of severe sepsis, also referred to as septic cardiomyopathy, which may progress to right and left ventricular pump failure. Many substances and mechanisms seem to be involved in myocardial dysfunction in sepsis, including toxins, cytokines, nitric oxide, complement activation, apoptosis and energy metabolic derangements. Nevertheless, the precise underlying molecular mechanisms as well as their significance in the pathogenesis of septic cardiomyopathy remain incompletely understood. A well-investigated abnormality in septic cardiomyopathy is mitochondrial dysfunction, which likely contributes to cardiac dysfunction by causing myocardial energy depletion. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to cause mitochondrial dysfunction in septic cardiomyopathy, although it remains controversially discussed whether some mechanisms impair mitochondrial function or serve to restore mitochondrial function. The purpose of this review is to discuss mitochondrial mechanisms that may causally contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and/or may represent adaptive responses to mitochondrial dysfunction in septic cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Heart Center Freiburg University, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. cecilia.cimolai@universitaets-herzzentrum.de.|Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (UBA-CONICET), Junín 956, C1113AAD Buenos Aires, Argentina. cecilia.cimolai@universitaets-herzzentrum.de.
authors.forename: María Cecilia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cimolai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (UBA-CONICET), Junín 956, C1113AAD Buenos Aires, Argentina. salvarez@ffyb.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Heart Center Freiburg University, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. christoph.bode@universitaets-herzzentrum.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Heart Center Freiburg University, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. heiko.bugger@universitaets-herzzentrum.de.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bugger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D063269:Mitochondrial Turnover; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: bioenergetics; heart; mitochondrial dysfunction; septic cardiomyopathy