Importance of mitochondrial ROS and substrate metabolism for the development and progression of right heart failure (B05)

• Subject Area: Anatomy and Physiology
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 268555672

Right ventricular (RV) failure during pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a metabolic switch. In isolated rat cardiomyocytes, this metabolic switch causes dysfunction which will be validated in vivo in PH rats. Blocking the small mitochondrial p66shc-induced ROS increase in PH rats did not improve RV function but affected morphology. Whether this is true for blocking the bigger monoaminooxidase B-induced ROS increase is under investigation. In systems of PH induced by left heart failure the importance of such mechanisms will be verified and possible treatments tested. We aim to find out, if PH is a confounder of cardioprotective interventions of the diseased left heart.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1213: Pulmonary Hypertension and Cor Pulmonale
• Applicant Institution: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Klaus-Dieter Schlüter; Professor Dr. Rainer Schulz