Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy signaling pathway

The cardiomyocyte hypertrophy signaling pathway encompasses interconnected molecular mechanisms by which heart muscle cells grow in response to stressors like pressure or volume overload, neurohormonal activation (e.g., via angiotensin II, endothelin-1, catecholamines), and oxidative stress. Major molecular players include G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), calcineurin/NFAT pathway, MAPK cascade, protein kinase C, histone modification enzymes, and various transcription factors (GATA4, MEF2, NFAT, ELK1). Activation of this pathway results in increased cell size, protein synthesis, reactivation of fetal gene programs, and can contribute to adaptive as well as pathological cardiac remodeling leading to heart failure if unregulated. Multiple drugs target individual nodes within these signaling networks, but there's no single molecular "target" that encompasses the entire pathway.

Other names

Cardiac hypertrophy signaling pathwayCardiac myocyte hypertrophy signalingMyocardial hypertrophy signaling pathways

Inhibition or modulation of upstream effectors (e.g., G protein-coupled receptors or their ligands), inhibition of intracellular signaling pathways (e.g., calcineurin, MAPK), gene expression modulation (e.g., HDAC inhibition)