Crosstalk between Iron and Arteriosclerosis

Abstract

Iron is an important element for life; however, intracellular labile iron overload can lead to the generation of reactive oxygen species and cellular damage. Although iron is mainly utilized for heme synthesis and is incorporated into hemoglobin, body iron status is often implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In a cell, iron is used for basic processes such as cell growth, maintenance, and repair. Thus, iron is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis. In fact, clinical and experimental studies have shown an association between iron and arteriosclerosis. These data suggest the crosstalk between iron and arteriosclerosis. However, iron metabolism in arteriosclerosis is often complicated, and the systemic and cellular mechanisms of iron homeostasis in arteriosclerosis remain completely unsolved. Thus, in this review, we aimed to examine the role of iron in arteriosclerosis.