Ageing Causes Ultrastructural Modification to Calcium Release Units and Mitochondria in Cardiomyocytes.

ABSTRACT: Ageing is associated with an increase in the incidence of heart failure, even if the existence of a real age-related cardiomyopathy remains controversial. Effective contraction and relaxation of cardiomyocytes depend on efficient production of ATP (handled by mitochondria) and on proper Ca²⁺ supply to myofibrils during excitation-contraction (EC) coupling (handled by Ca²⁺ release units, CRUs). Here, we analyzed mitochondria and CRUs in hearts of adult (4 months old) and aged (≥24 months old) mice. Analysis by confocal and electron microscopy (CM and EM, respectively) revealed an age-related loss of proper organization and disposition of both mitochondria and EC coupling units: (a) mitochondria are improperly disposed and often damaged (percentage of severely damaged m

SUBMITTER: Di Fonso A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8395047 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature