An update on the role of sex hormones in the function of the cardiorenal mitochondria.

Abstract

Multiple studies have highlighted the crucial role of mitochondrial bioenergetics in understanding the progression of cardiorenal diseases, revealing new potential treatment targets related to mitochondrial metabolism. There are well-established sexual dimorphisms in cardiac and renal physiology, with premenopausal females being generally protected from pathology compared with males. The mechanisms of this protection remain to be fully elucidated, however, they clearly depend, at least in part, on sex hormones. Sex hormones contribute to regulating mitochondrial function, and vice versa, highlighting the existence of a bidirectional relationship pivotal for cellular energy metabolism; however, there are still large gaps in knowledge when the sex differences in mitochondrial bioenergetics in health and disease are concerned. This manuscript provides an overview of the new evidence that has been accumulated regarding the role of sex hormones in renal and cardiac mitochondria-dependent cellular energetics, metabolism, and signaling, mainly focusing on the data obtained within the last 3-5 years. We briefly discuss mitochondrial function and different types of sex hormones for the reader and then focus on novel research underscoring the emerging mitochondrial pathways regulated by sex hormones, which might be of interest for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for cardiorenal conditions.