Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activation and cardioprotection

Cardiac ischemia and reperfusion promote oxidative stress, leading to the accumulation of reactive aldehydes that cause cardiac damage. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is emerging as a key cardioprotective enzyme for its central role in the detoxification of reactive aldehydes. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activity strongly correlates to a better cardioprotective effect, and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 can be activated by several pathways. After phosphorylation, the active mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 can reduce the build-up of aldehydes, inhibit autophagy, inhibit opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, and prevent reperfusion arrhythmias. Therefore, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activation by small molecule activators suggests a promising new direction in cardiovascular research and the development of novel cardioprotective strategies. This review will discuss the cardioprotective effects of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activation in detail. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Focus on Cardiac Metabolism". (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.