Abstract
Under normal conditions, autophagy maintains cardiomyocyte health and integrity through turnover of organelles. During stress, oxygen and nutrient deprivation, or microbial infection, autophagy prolongs cardiomyocyte survival. Sex differences in induction of cell death may to some extent explain the disparity between the sexes in many human diseases. However, sex differences in gene expression, which regulate cell death and autophagy, were so far not taken in consideration to explain the sex bias of viral myocarditis. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis is a sex-biased disease, with females being substantially less susceptible than males and sex hormones largely determine this bias. CVB3 was shown to induce and subvert the autophagosome for its optimal viral RNA replication. Gene expression analysis on mouse and human, healthy and CVB3-infected, cardiac samples of both sexes, suggests sex differences in autophagy-related gene expression. This review discusses the aspects of sex bias in autophagy induction in cardiomyocytes.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.