Calcaterra Valeria, Mannarino Savina, Puricelli Filippo, Fini Giulia, Cecconi Giulia, Evangelista Martina, Baj Beatrice, Gazzola Cassandra, Zuccotti Gianvincenzo
Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Pediatric Department, Pediatric Unit, Buzzi Children's Hospital, 20154 Milano, Italy.
Biomedicines. 2025 Sep 10;13(9):2225. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines13092225.
The endocrine system plays a pivotal role in all stages of cardiac development and in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the heart. Notably, the heart itself functions as an endocrine organ, producing hormones that regulate blood pressure, fluid balance, and myocardial remodeling. This narrative review explores the endocrine mechanisms underlying cardiac development and function, with a focus on fetal and pediatric life. Special attention is given to the heart's intrinsic endocrine activity and how hormonal signals interact with the cardiovascular system during early development. Hormonal signaling is essential for maintaining physiological homeostasis and supporting proper heart development during growth. Disruptions in these signals may serve as silent precursors to structural or functional heart disease, potentially manifesting later in life. Understanding these interactions is clinically relevant, as endocrine imbalances can contribute to the onset, progression, and prognosis of pediatric cardiac disorders. Early identification of hormonal dysregulation can help prevent or mitigate adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, recognizing age-specific patterns in hormone-heart interactions may enable the development of targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
内分泌系统在心脏发育的各个阶段以及维持心脏的结构和功能完整性方面发挥着关键作用。值得注意的是，心脏本身作为一个内分泌器官，会产生调节血压、液体平衡和心肌重塑的激素。这篇叙述性综述探讨了心脏发育和功能背后的内分泌机制，重点关注胎儿期和儿童期。特别关注心脏的内在内分泌活动以及激素信号在早期发育过程中如何与心血管系统相互作用。激素信号对于维持生理稳态和支持生长过程中心脏的正常发育至关重要。这些信号的紊乱可能是结构性或功能性心脏病的潜在无声先兆，可能在生命后期显现出来。了解这些相互作用具有临床相关性，因为内分泌失衡会导致小儿心脏疾病的发生、进展和预后。早期识别激素失调有助于预防或减轻不良心血管结局。此外，认识激素与心脏相互作用中的年龄特异性模式可能有助于制定有针对性的诊断和治疗策略。
