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Is CaMKII a link between inflammation and hypertrophy in heart?

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Abstract

Myocardial infarction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing and developed world. Although current interventions have been successful in prolonging life, they are inadequate because mortality is still high among MI patients. The multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) plays a key role in the structure and contractility of the myocardium. CaMKII activity is increased in MI hearts and CaMKII promotes cardiac hypertrophy and inflammation, processes consistently activated by myocardial injury. Hypertrophy and inflammation are also related to neurohumoral and redox signaling which uncouple CaMKII activation from Ca2+/calmodulin dependence. Thus, CaMKII may act as a nodal point for integrating hypertrophic and inflammatory signaling in myocardium.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Sandler Program for Asthma Research, Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network, and by NIH (1R01 HL070250, R01 HL096652, HL-079031).

Disclosure statement

MVS and MEA are named inventors on a pending patent on “Use of Calmodulin Kinase II to treat or prevent heart muscle inflammation”. MEA is a named inventor on awarded and pending patents claiming to use CaMKII inhibition for therapeutic purposes.

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  1. Departments of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Madhu V. Singh & Mark E. Anderson

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  1. Madhu V. Singh
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Correspondence to Madhu V. Singh.

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Singh, M.V., Anderson, M.E. Is CaMKII a link between inflammation and hypertrophy in heart?. J Mol Med 89, 537–543 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-011-0727-5

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