Functions of autophagy in pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is the response of heart to various biomechanical and physiopathological stimuli, such as aging, myocardial ischemia and hypertension. However, a long-term exposure to the stress makes heart progress to heart failure. Autophagy is a dynamic self-degradative process necessary for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has revealed a tight link between cardiomyocyte autophagy and cardiac hypertrophy. Sophisticatedly regulated autophagy protects heart from various physiological and pathological stimuli by degradating and recycling of protein aggregates, lipid drops, or organelles. Here we review the recent progresses concerning the functions of autophagy in cardiac hypertrophy induced by various hypertrophic stimuli. Moreover, the therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy for cardiac hypertrophy will also be discussed.