Hemin toxicity and autophagy

We know that hemin toxicity effects vascular endothelial cells, which may contribute to cardiovascular diseases. But what is the underlying molecular mechanism? In our newest podcast, Associate Editor Christine des Rosiers interviews senior author Victor Darley-Usmar (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and leading expert Neil Hogg (Medical College of Wisconsin) about the connections between lipid peroxidation in cells and its damaging effects on mitochondrial function, and the role autophagy may play in protecting those mitochondria from damage.

Ashlee N. Higdon, Gloria A. Benavides, Balu K. Chacko, Xiaosen Ouyang, Michelle S. Johnson, Aimee Landar, Jianhua Zhang, Victor M. Darley-Usmar. Hemin causes mitochondrial dysfunction in endothelial cells through promoting lipid peroxidation: the protective role of autophagy Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online April 1, 2012, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00584.2011.