Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

Ideas in Scientific Research on Human Health and Heart Care Raised from the Electron Leak Pathways of Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain

Xu Jian-xing

Respiratory chain is a group of redox enzymes located in the inner membrane of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the cellular “power house” to produce ATP through the way of electron transfer of the respiratory chain. In our lab, it is established that the production of ATP is always combined with the ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) generation through the electron leak pathways. The confirmation of electron leak pathways of respiratory chain reveals that the efficiency of ATP production in mitochondria is strongly affected by the electron leakage of the respiratory chain-the more the electrons leaked the less the ATP produced. How the electron leak pathways related to aging and agerelated degenerative disease is a new investigative field of health and longevity. As the substrates of the respiratory chain (O₂ and nutrients) are delivered by heart pumping, the respiratory chain can be considered as the molecular heart or a life-engine, the human body can be considered as an aggregate of huge numbers of molecular hearts or life-engines. With this in mind some ideas about human health and heart care are presented here for discussion.