Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA.
Cells. 2022 Apr 13;11(8):1316. doi: 10.3390/cells11081316.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Current data suggest that patients with cardiovascular diseases experience more serious complications with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) than those without CVD. In addition, severe COVID-19 appears to cause acute cardiac injury, as well as long-term adverse remodeling of heart tissue. Cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, being crucial in response to injury, may play a pivotal role in both contributing to and healing COVID-19-induced cardiac injury. The role of cardiac myofibroblasts in cardiac fibrosis has been well-established in the literature for decades. However, with the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, new cardiac complications are arising. Bursts of inflammatory cytokines and upregulation of TGF-β1 and angiotensin (AngII) are common in severe COVID-19 patients. Cytokines, TGF-β1, and Ang II can induce cardiac fibroblast differentiation, potentially leading to fibrosis. This review details the key information concerning the role of cardiac myofibroblasts in CVD and COVID-19 complications. Additionally, new factors including controlling ACE2 expression and microRNA regulation are explored as promising treatments for both COVID-19 and CVD. Further understanding of this topic may provide insight into the long-term cardiac manifestations of the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to mitigate its negative effects.
心血管疾病（CVD）是全球范围内的主要死亡原因。现有数据表明，患有心血管疾病的患者在感染冠状病毒病 19（COVID-19）时比没有 CVD 的患者经历更严重的并发症。此外，严重的 COVID-19 似乎会导致急性心脏损伤，以及心脏组织的长期不良重塑。心脏成纤维细胞和肌成纤维细胞在对损伤的反应中至关重要，它们可能在 COVID-19 诱导的心脏损伤的发生和愈合中发挥关键作用。几十年来，心肌成纤维细胞在心脏纤维化中的作用在文献中已得到充分证实。然而，随着新型冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2 的出现，新的心脏并发症也随之出现。在严重的 COVID-19 患者中，炎症细胞因子的爆发和 TGF-β1 和血管紧张素（AngII）的上调很常见。细胞因子、TGF-β1 和 Ang II 可诱导心脏成纤维细胞分化，可能导致纤维化。本综述详细介绍了心肌成纤维细胞在 CVD 和 COVID-19 并发症中的作用的关键信息。此外，还探讨了新的因子，包括控制 ACE2 表达和 microRNA 调节，作为 COVID-19 和 CVD 的有前途的治疗方法。进一步了解这一主题可能有助于深入了解 COVID-19 大流行的长期心脏表现以及减轻其负面影响的方法。
