Cardiac mast cells: the centrepiece in adverse myocardial remodelling. Cardiovasc Res 2011 Jan 01;89(1):12-9
Date
08/26/2010Pubmed ID
20736239Pubmed Central ID
PMC3002871DOI
10.1093/cvr/cvq272Scopus ID
2-s2.0-78650494105 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 154 CitationsAbstract
Increased numbers of mast cells have been reported in explanted human hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy and in animal models of experimentally induced hypertension, myocardial infarction, and chronic volume overload secondary to aortocaval fistula and mitral regurgitation. Accordingly, mast cells have been implicated to have a major role in the pathophysiology of these cardiovascular disorders. In vitro studies have verified that mast cell proteases are capable of activating collagenase, gelatinases and stromelysin. Recent results have shown that with chronic ventricular volume overload, there is an elevation in mast cell density, which is associated with a concomitant increase in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and extracellular matrix degradation. However, the role of the cardiac mast cell is not one dimensional, with evidence from hypertension and cardiac transplantation studies suggesting that they can also assume a pro-fibrotic phenotype in the heart. These adverse events do not occur in mast cell deficient rodents or when cardiac mast cells are pharmacologically prevented from degranulating. This review is focused on the regulation and dual roles of cardiac mast cells in: (i) activating MMPs and causing myocardial fibrillar collagen degradation and (ii) causing fibrosis in the stressed, injured or diseased heart. Moreover, there is strong evidence that premenopausal female cardioprotection may at least partly be due to gender differences in cardiac mast cells. This too will be addressed.
Author List
Levick SP, Meléndez GC, Plante E, McLarty JL, Brower GL, Janicki JSMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsAtherosclerosis
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cell Differentiation
Cell Proliferation
Complement C5a
Endothelin-1
Female
Heart Failure
Heart Transplantation
Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Humans
Hypertension
In Vitro Techniques
Male
Mast Cells
Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial Reperfusion Injury
Myocarditis
Neuropeptides
Reactive Oxygen Species
Sex Characteristics
Ventricular Remodeling
