Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42193929›Full record

ArticleCells2026

Mitofilin Preservation Mitigates Cardiac Injury in Donation-After-Circulatory-Death Hearts.

Qun Chen, Zachary Kiernan, Gina Labate, Oluwatoyin Akande, Edward J Lesnefsky, Mohammed Quader

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cells, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Qun ChenDepartments of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5683-7844
Zachary KiernanDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-6126-4766
Gina LabateDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
Oluwatoyin AkandeDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9497-2323
Edward J LesnefskyDepartments of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
Mohammed QuaderDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8290-043X

Funding

Merit Review Grants 1I01 BX003859Pauley Heart Center 2I01 BX001355The Thoracic Surgery Foundation Resident Research Fellowship Award awarded to Zachary Kiernan
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) involves unavoidable ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening plays a critical role in DCD heart injury. Activation of ubiquitous calpains, including calpain-1 and calpain-2 (CPN1/2), increases MPTP opening in DCD hearts. Mitofilin, a mitochondrial inner membrane protein that regulates cristae morphology, is also involved in MPTP opening during ischemia-reperfusion. However, it remains unclear whether CPN1/2 activation contributes to mitofilin-mediated IRI in DCD hearts. We first incubated a mitofilin peptide with exogenous CPN1 in vitro to investigate the link between CPN1 activation and mitofilin degradation. Next, we tested whether CPN1/2 inhibition reduces cardiac injury in DCD hearts by preserving mitofilin and limiting MPTP opening. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat hearts were subjected to 25 min of in vivo ischemia followed by ex vivo perfusion with or without the CPN1/2 inhibitor MDL-28170 (10 µM). In vitro incubation with CPN1 led to mitofilin degradation, confirming mitofilin as a CPN1 substrate. CPN1/2 inhibition significantly reduced infarct size compared with untreated DCD hearts, preserved mitofilin expression, and decreased MPTP opening. These findings indicate that CPN1/2 activation promotes MPTP opening in DCD hearts through mitofilin degradation. Timely inhibition of CPN1/2 represents a promising strategy to reduce cardiac injury and improve DCD heart function.

Indexed as

Mitochondrial ProteinsMuscle ProteinsMyocardial Reperfusion InjuryAnimalsCalpainMaleMitochondrial Permeability Transition PoreMyocardiumRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyCalpainMitochondrial Permeability Transition PoreMitochondrial ProteinsMuscle Proteinscalpain inhibitorcyclophilin Dheart transplantationmitochondriamitofilinMPTP

Identifiers

PMID42193929
PMCPMC13204712

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.