Elucidating molecular mechanisms that alleviate cardiac microvascular dysfunction in diabetes: The potential benefit of targeting mitophagy and mitochondrial integrity

Vessels in motion

“…6,7 In the kidney, the regulation of glomerular perfusion, 8 short-term recruitment of the renal functional reserve 9,10 and aftereffects of ischemiareperfusion injury 11 and the respective immediate role of the microcirculation have recently been studied. In the cardiac circulation, diabetic microvascular dysfunction, a major factor in diabetes-associated cardiovascular morbidity, may be alleviated by enhancing mitophagy, 12,13 the selective degradation of mitochondria by autophagy, usually following stress-induced mitochondrial damage. on a similar note, Dai et al recently described the role of autophagy effects on vascular wall tension, 14 which is involved in the exercise-mediated regulation of vascular tone.…”