Intriguingly, some gonochoristic species, such as zebrafish, which are born as hermaphrodites before undergoing irreversible sex determination in their early larval life, retain lifelong cardiac regenerative capacity. In these species, cardiac regenerative capacity is extinguished soon after birth. On the other hand, in gonochoristic species with non-plastic sexual phenotypes, such as humans, sex determination and cardiomyogenesis occur exclusively during embryonic development. These species are either hermaphrodites or are capable of switching phenotypic sex in response to environmental and genetic factors, such as temperature and steroid hormones. In this context, animals with plastic sexual phenotypes demonstrate full cardiac regenerative capacity. Understanding the “sex determination–heart axis” may offer new therapeutic possibilities for enhanced cardiac regeneration and/or repair post-injury.Īnimal models of cardiac regeneration provide evidence linking the capacity for cardiac regeneration with sexual maturation and reproduction. Sex-biased cardiac repair mechanisms are also discussed with a focus on the role of the steroid hormone 17β-estradiol. We specifically focus on cardiovascular manifestations of abnormal sex determination in humans, such as in Turner and Klinefelter syndromes, as well as on the differences in cardiac regenerative potential between species with plastic and non-plastic sexual phenotypes. Here, we provide a concise review of the field and discuss current gaps in knowledge as a step towards elucidating the “sex determination–heart axis”. Interestingly, male and female patients with CVD exhibit distinct epidemiological and pathophysiological characteristics, implying a potentially important role for primary and secondary sex determination factors in heart development, aging, disease and therapeutic responses. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |