Cardiac fatty acid metabolism and the induction of apoptosis.

Fatty acids are the primary source of energy in the adult heart. Recently, however, it was discovered that certain saturated fatty acids, such as palmitate and stearate, cause cardiac and other types of cells to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis). In cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury, where blood flow is blocked and then restored to the heart, recovery of cardiac cells is inversely proportional to the concentration of fatty acids (largely composed of palmitate and stearate) in the reperfusate. The aim of this review is to summarize what is known about fatty acid induction of heart disease, the role of fatty acids in apoptosis, and apoptosis in the heart, including the role that mitochondria play in this process.