Parsa Cyrus J, Koch Walter J
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2003 Jul;15(3):259-67. doi: 10.1016/s1043-0679(03)70005-7.
Cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly 40% of all deaths annually in this country. Prevention management and advances in medical treatments have dramatically reduced the overall mortality rate due to heart disease. However, death due to chronic heart failure (HF) continues to rise, and effective therapy, particularly for end-stage HF, has been elusive. The myocardial beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) system is critical not only in chronic HF but also in acute settings where cardiac function is compromised. Adding to its importance is the fact that drugs that act by altering betaAR signal transduction are at the forefront of conventional HF therapeutic strategies. Accordingly, the ability to genetically manipulate betaAR signaling in the heart is of great interest since it may provide unique inotropic support and improve existing therapeutic strategies for HF.
在这个国家，心血管疾病每年导致的死亡人数占总死亡人数的近40%。预防管理和医学治疗的进步显著降低了心脏病导致的总体死亡率。然而，慢性心力衰竭（HF）导致的死亡人数仍在上升，而且有效的治疗方法，尤其是针对终末期HF的治疗方法，一直难以找到。心肌β-肾上腺素能受体（βAR）系统不仅在慢性HF中至关重要，在心脏功能受损的急性情况下也很关键。其重要性还体现在，通过改变βAR信号转导起作用的药物处于传统HF治疗策略的前沿。因此，对心脏中的βAR信号进行基因操控的能力备受关注，因为它可能提供独特的正性肌力支持，并改善现有的HF治疗策略。
