Thyroid hormone-dependent regulation of metabolism and heart regeneration

Publication Date

3-1-2022

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Endocrinology

Volume

252

Issue

3

DOI

10.1530/JOE-21-0335

First Page

R71

Last Page

R82

Abstract

While adult zebrafish and newborn mice possess a robust capacity to regenerate their hearts, this ability is generally lost in adult mammals. The logic behind the diversity of cardiac regenerative capacity across the animal kingdom is not well understood. We have recently reported that animal metabolism is inversely correlated to the abundance of mononucleated diploid cardiomyocytes in the heart, which retain proliferative and regenerative potential. Thyroid hormones are classical regulators of animal metabolism, mitochondrial function, and thermogenesis, and a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that these hormonal regulators also have direct effects on cardiomyocyte proliferation and maturation. We propose that thyroid hormones dually control animal metabolism and cardiac regenerative potential through distinct mechanisms, which may represent an evolutionary tradeoff for the acquisition of endothermy and loss of heart regenerative capacity. In this review, we describe the effects of thyroid hormones on animal metabolism and cardiomyocyte regeneration and highlight recent reports linking the loss of mammalian cardiac regenerative capacity to metabolic shifts occurring after birth.

Funding Number

R01HL138456-04S1

Funding Sponsor

National Institutes of Health

Keywords

heart, metabolism, polyploid, regeneration, Thyroid hormone

Department

Biological Sciences

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