Cardiac lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and heart failure

A fine balance between uptake, storage, and the use of high energy fuels, like lipids, is crucial in the homeostasis of different metabolic tissues. Nowhere is this balance more important and more precarious than in the heart. This highly energy-demanding muscle normally oxidizes almost all the available substrates to generate energy, with fatty acids being the preferred source under physiological conditions. In patients with cardiomyopathies and heart failure, changes in the main energetic substrate are observed; these hearts often prefer to utilize glucose rather than oxidizing fatty acids. An imbalance between uptake and oxidation of fatty acid can result in cellular lipid accumulation and cytotoxicity. In…

• AH
  American Heart Association

  Award: HL45095
• MO
  Ministry of Health

  Award: RF-2019-12370896
• FT
  Fondazione Telethon

  Award: GGP19146
• NH
  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute