Br J Pharmacol. 2026 Oct 26. doi: 10.1111/bph.70707. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
As a metabolically versatile organ, the heart is capable of generating energy from a wide range of substrates. Although fatty acid and glucose metabolism in the heart have been extensively studied, the contribution of amino acid metabolism to cardiac physiology and disease is gaining increasing attention. A range of amino acids, including branched-chain amino acids, glutamine and glutamate, asparagine, glycine, tryptophan and alanine, play integral roles in signalling pathways that orchestrate key adaptive and maladaptive changes in the myocardium, under both physiological and pathological stress. Dysregulation of these pathways is associated with cardiovascular disease such as heart failure, hypertension, myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis, via mechanisms involving impaired mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and inflammation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of amino acid metabolism in the heart, including sulphur amino acids, their role in relation to cardiovascular disease and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting amino acid metabolism in the heart. Finally, this review also discusses current and ongoing clinical trials targeting amino acid metabolism with the aim of finding potential therapeutic targets in cardiovascular disease.
PMID:42935144 | DOI:10.1111/bph.70707