ISLAMABAD, May 29 (APP): Researchers have found a receptor
protein on the surface of heart cells that promotes chronic heart
failure.
The findings, suggests that inhibiting this protein could
help treat a disease that affects more than 20 million people
worldwide, Health News reported.
Chronic heart failure is caused by a variety of conditions
that damage the heart, including coronary heart disease,
hypertension and diabetes.
Although the heart initially tries to compensate for this
damage and maintain its function by, for example, growing larger,
cardiac function gradually declines until the heart is no longer
able to pump enough blood and oxygen around the body.
A team of researchers led by Mikito Takefuji from Nagoya
University School of Medicine discovered that a signalling protein
called corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 (Crhr2) is
expressed on the surface of heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes,
and that Crhr2 levels increase in mice suffering from heart
failure.
“Our results suggest that constitutive Crhr2 activation
causes cardiac dysfunction and that Crhr2 blockade could be a
promising therapeutic strategy for patients with chronic heart
failure,” Takefuji said.