Department of Geriatrics, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
J Cell Mol Med. 2010 Nov;14(11):2604-13. doi: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2010.01179.x.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Recent studies of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a highly conserved sensor of cellular energy status, suggest that there might be therapeutic value in targeting the AMPK signaling pathway. AMPK is found in most mammalian tissues, including those of the cardiovascular system. As cardiovascular diseases are typically associated with blood flow occlusion and blood occlusion may induce rapid energy deficit, AMPK activation may occur during the early phase upon nutrient deprivation in cardiovascular organs. Therefore, investigation of AMPK in cardiovascular organs may help us to understand the pathophysiology of defence mechanisms in these organs. Recent studies have provided proof of concept for the idea that AMPK is protective in heart as well as in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Moreover, dysfunction of the AMPK signalling pathway is involved in the genesis and development of various cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension and stroke. The roles of AMPK in the cardiovascular system, as they are currently understood, will be presented in this review. The interaction between AMPK and other cardiovascular signalling pathways such as nitric oxide signalling is also discussed.
心血管疾病仍然是全球范围内导致死亡的主要原因。最近对 AMP 激活的蛋白激酶 (AMPK) 的研究表明，靶向 AMPK 信号通路可能具有治疗价值。AMPK 存在于大多数哺乳动物组织中，包括心血管系统的组织。由于心血管疾病通常与血流阻塞有关，而血液阻塞可能导致能量迅速不足，因此在心血管器官的营养物质剥夺早期阶段可能会发生 AMPK 激活。因此，对心血管器官中 AMPK 的研究可能有助于我们了解这些器官中防御机制的病理生理学。最近的研究为 AMPK 在心脏以及血管内皮和平滑肌细胞中具有保护作用的观点提供了证据。此外，AMPK 信号通路的功能障碍与各种心血管疾病的发生和发展有关，包括动脉粥样硬化、高血压和中风。本文将介绍目前对 AMPK 在心血管系统中的作用的理解。还讨论了 AMPK 与其他心血管信号通路（如一氧化氮信号通路）之间的相互作用。
