Role of autophagy in the progression of heart failure

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Constitutive autophagy is important for control of the quality of proteins and organelles to maintain cell function. We have previously reported that autophagy in the heart has a protective role in the pathogenesis of heart failure. In the present study, we monitored cardiac-specific Atg5-deficient mice. The Atg5-deficient mice began to die after the age of six months. Atg5-deficient mice exhibited severe cardiac dysfunction at the age of 10 months. Ultrastructural analysis revealed a disorganized sarcomere structure and collapsed mitochondria in Atg5-deficient mice. These results suggest that continuous constitutive autophagy plays a crucial role in maintaining cardiac structure and function.