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Correlations between protein kinase C ζ signaling and morphological modifications during rat heart development and aging

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 124; Issue: 8-9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0047-6374(03)00168-4

1872-6216

Lucia Centurione, Camillo Di Giulio, M. Cacchio, Monica Rapino, Domenico Bosco, Giovanna Grifone, Nadia Sabatini, Giuseppe Bianchi, Sergio Castorina, A Antonucci, Amelia Cataldi,

Protein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling

From birth to aging the heart undergoes functional changes reflecting biochemical and ultrastructural modifications which imply apoptosis. This is a physiological process resulting from genetic programs closely associated with development and aging. During development apoptosis eliminates redundant cells leading to heart remodeling, while during aging it eliminates damaged or exhausted cells. In the present paper we analyze some molecular mechanisms involved with heart morphological modifications, especially in the neonatal heart which displays different features in the subendocardial and myocardial area. The high number of subendocardial apoptotic cells and the inverted ratio of Bcl-2/Bax molecule expression in the two heart compartments led us to hypothesize a different metabolism in the myocardium as compared with subendocardium. Moreover, we propose that PKC ζ may mediate this different response by activating Nf-kB pathway and by maintaining the balance between hypertrophic growth and apoptosis involved with remodeling of neonatal heart. Further, we underline that in the aged heart, where this pathway is not activated, such balance is not maintained.