Cited by 386Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceCongenital heart defects researchCardiac Fibrosis and Remodeling

Senescence and Death of Primitive Cells and Myocytes Lead to Premature Cardiac Aging and Heart Failure

Chimenti, Cristina, Kajstura, Jan, Torella, Daniele, Urbanek, Konrad, Heleniak, Hubert, Colussi, Claudia, Di Meglio, Franca, Nadal-Ginard, Bernardo +4 more·2003·Circulation Research

Abstract

Chronological myocardial aging is viewed as the inevitable effect of time on the functional reserve of the heart. Cardiac failure in elderly patients is commonly interpreted as an idiopathic or secondary myopathy superimposed on the old heart independently from the aging process. Thus, aged diseased hearts were studied to determine whether cell regeneration was disproportionate to the accumulation of old dying cells, leading to cardiac decompensation. Endomyocardial biopsies from 19 old patients with a dilated myopathy were compared with specimens from 7 individuals of similar age and normal ventricular function. Ten patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were also analyzed to detect differences with aged diseased hearts. Senescent cells were identified by the expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p16 INK4a and cell death by hairpin 1 and 2. Replication of primitive cells and myocytes was assessed by MCM5 labeling, myocyte mitotic index, and telomerase function. Aged diseased hearts had moderate hypertrophy and dilation, accumulation of p16 INK4a positive primitive cells and myocytes, and no structural damage. Cell death markedly increased and occurred only in cells expressing p16 INK4a that had significant telomeric shortening. Cell multiplication, mitotic index and telomerase increased but did not compensate for cell death or prevented telomeric shortening. Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy had severe hypertrophy and dilation, tissue injury, and minimal level of p16 INK4a labeling. In conclusion, telomere erosion, cellular senescence, and death characterize aged diseased hearts and the development of cardiac failure in humans.

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Crossref · 10.1161/01.res.0000093985.76901.af

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  • Patients with genetic hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy have shorter cardiomyocyte telomeres than age-matched individuals.

    “Patients with genetic forms of hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, conditions that affect 1 in 500–2,500 people worldwide, have cardiomyocytes with shorter telomeres than age-matched individuals107,108.”

    From Telomere dysfunction in ageing and age-related diseases (2022) · cites this paper as [107]

    The Abstract describes a comparison between older patients with an age-related dilated myopathy and individuals of similar age with normal ventricular function. “Length of Telomeres in Senescent Myocytes” reports significantly shorter myocyte telomeres in the diseased hearts. The paper does not establish this finding for genetic hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, and the cited passages do not support the prevalence figure. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • In humans, accumulation of senescent markers has been demonstrated in skin, T lymphocytes, atherosclerotic lesions, insulin-producing β cells, kidney, endothelium, visceral fat, joint cartilage, cardiac muscle, liver, and many other tissues.

    “In humans, the accumulation of senescent markers has been demonstrated in the skin, T lymphocytes, atherosclerotic lesions, insulin-producing β cells, kidney, endothelium, visceral fat, joint cartilage, cardiac muscle, liver, and many others tissues98,101–107.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [7]7. Hara E, Smith R, Parry D, Tahara H, Stone S, Peters G. Regulation of p16CDKN2 expression and its implications for cell immortalization and senescence. Mol Cell Biol. 1996;16:859 -867.
  2. [13]13. Leri A, Franco S, Zacheo A, Barlucchi L, Chimenti S, Limana F, Nadal- Ginard B, Kajstura J, Anversa P, Blasco MA. Ablation of telomerase and telomere loss leads to cardiac dilatation and heart failure. EMBO J. 2003;22:131-139.

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Authors
Chimenti, C., Kajstura, J., Torella, D., Urbanek, K., Heleniak, H., Colussi, C., Di Meglio, F., Nadal-Ginard, B., Frustaci, A., Leri, A., Maseri, A., & Anversa, P.
Affiliations
  • Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT)
  • From the Cardiovascular Research Institute (C. Chimenti, J.K., D.T., K.U., H.H., C. Colussi, F.D.M., B.N.-G., A.F., A.L., P.A.), Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY; Department of Cardiology (A.F.), Sacred Heart University, Rome, Italy; and Department of Cardiology (A.M.), San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Venue
Circulation Research
Published
2003-10-03
Volume
93
Issue
7
Pages
604-613
ISSN
  • 0009-7330 (ISSN-L)
  • 1524-4571
OpenAlex
W2096391100
Cited by
386
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 25
FWCI
10.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Circulation Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (AG-15756, R01AG017042, AG-023071, R01AG015756, P01AG023071, AG17042)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL65573, HL65577, R01HL066923, HL 38132, HL-66923, R01HL065573, R01HL065577, R01HL038132)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Congenital heart defects research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Fibrosis and Remodeling
Keywords
cellular senescence, cardiomyocyte death, heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, p16INK4a, telomere shortening, telomerase, myocyte proliferation, MCM5, endomyocardial biopsy, cardiac hypertrophy, cell cycle inhibitors
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biopsy, Cardiomyopathy, Dilated, DNA-Binding Proteins, Female, Heart Failure, Humans, Male, Mitotic Index, Myocardium, Cellular Senescence, Cell Death, Microscopy, Confocal, Cell Cycle Proteins, Telomerase, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16, Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins, Myocytes, Cardiac

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