Targeting Mitochondria in Cardiovascular Diseases
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the main factors responsible for human morbidity and mortality. Since mitochondria play a critical role in the regulation of cardiac tissue homeostasis, this organelle is a critical target for the protective effects of several pharmaceuticals. Although specific mitochondria-targeted antioxidants and some pharmacological agents are described as potential cardioprotective agents, there are still a few effective mitochondrial therapies for the treatment of CVDs. Agents which have potential cardioprotective effects by directly targeting mitochondria in vitro and in vivo are still in pre-clinical or clinical trials, hence their widespread use in the clinic is still far. Also, some of these agents have a decreased bioavailability or show some intrinsic toxicity, which also limits their working mitochondrial concentrations. METHODS: By initially using PubMed specific queries for literature search, we review here cardiac mitochondrial effects of specific targeted and non-targeted antioxidants and pharmacological agents, including MitoE, MitoQ, MitoSNO, Mito-TEMPOL, SkQ1, SkQR1, carvedilol, trimetazidine, ranolazine, diazoxide and propofol. RESULTS: The present review emphasizes new mitochondrial-targeting strategies which have emerged to address difficulties arising from current approaches. We also describe the strengths and weaknesses of these cardioprotective approaches. CONCLUSION: Although effective therapies to target mitochondria in the context of CVDs are not under widespread clinical use, the new strategies proposed constitute a real promise for the development of therapies which may effectively prevent CVDs in the near future.
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Mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant therapies have been explored as potential treatments because mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage have central roles in disease.
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- Authors
- Silva, F., Simoes, R., Couto, R., & Oliveira, P.
- Affiliations
- Biocant – Associação de Transferência de Tecnologia (PT)
- Venue
- Current Pharmaceutical Design
- Publisher
- Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
- Published
- 2016-11-20
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 37
- Pages
- 5698-5717
- ISSN
- 1381-6128 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2510619368
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 2.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Pharmaceutical Design (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Cardiac Ischemia and Reperfusion
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Keywords
- mitochondria, cardiovascular disease, cardioprotection, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, MitoQ, SkQ1, carvedilol, trimetazidine, ranolazine, diazoxide, propofol, mitochondrial toxicity
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antioxidants, Cardiotonic Agents, Cardiovascular Diseases, Humans, Mitochondria
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