Title:Cardiac Remodeling Induced by Smoking: Concepts, Relevance, and Potential Mechanisms
Volume: 11
Issue: 6
Author(s): Marcos F. Minicucci, Paula S. Azevedo, Bertha F. Polegato, Sergio A.R. Paiva and Leonardo A.M. Zornoff
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Matrix metalloproteinases, oxidative stress, tobacco smoke exposure, ventricular remodeling, Cardiac Remodeling, heart size, myocardial hypertrophy, ventricular dysfunction, hemodynamic, neurohormonal changes, oxidative stress, inflammation, mitogen-activated protein kinase activation
Abstract: Cardiac or ventricular remodeling is characterized by molecular, cellular, and interstitial alterations that lead to
changes in heart size, mass, geometry and function in response to a given insult. Currently, tobacco smoke exposure is
recognized as one of these insults. Indeed, tobacco smoke exposure induces the enlargement of the left-sided cardiac
chambers, myocardial hypertrophy, and ventricular dysfunction. Potential mechanisms for these alterations include
hemodynamic and neurohormonal changes, oxidative stress, inflammation, nitric oxide bioavailability, matrix
metalloproteinases and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. This review will focus on the concepts, relevance, and
potential mechanisms of cardiac remodeling induced by tobacco smoke.
