Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (22): 5832-5843.doi: 10.12307/2026.228

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The role of exercise-regulated mitophagy in cardiovascular diseases

Ji Long1, Gong Guopan1, Kong Xiangkui1, Jin Pan2, Chen Ziyang1, 3, Pu Rui1, 3   

  1. 1College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China; 2Yangtze University School of Medicine, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China; 3Laboratory of Exercise and Human Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • Received:2025-09-10 Accepted:2025-10-17 Online:2026-08-08 Published:2025-12-27
  • Contact: Pu Rui, MS, Lecturer, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China; Laboratory of Exercise and Human Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • About author:Ji Long, MS candidate, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • Supported by:

    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860386 (to JP); 2022 Jingzhou Healthcare Science and Technology Program, No. 2022HC36 (to JP); 2024 Youth Project of Social Science Foundation of Yangtze University, No. 2024csq006 (to CZY)

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Mitophagy plays a crucial regulatory role in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. Exercise intervention can mediate mitophagy to improve cardiovascular function, which provides new insights for the clinical prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the regulatory role of mitophagy in cardiovascular diseases, the influence of exercise on mitophagy, and the mechanism by which exercise-mediated mitophagy improves cardiovascular diseases.
METHODS: PubMed and CNKI databases were searched for relevant literature using the search terms of “mitophagy, mitochondrial function, cardiovascular disease, aerobic exercise, resistance training, combined aerobic resistance exercise, high-intensity interval training” in Chinese and English, respectively. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, totally 88 documents were finally included for summary and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Mitophagy plays a crucial role in the regulation of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, myocardial hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Moreover, mitophagy imbalance or disorder can exacerbate the pathological process of cardiovascular diseases. (2) Various exercise modalities can activate mitophagy by regulating the expression of mitophagy-related factors. Among them, aerobic exercise promotes autophagosomes formation, thereby enhancing the regulatory capacity of mitophagy; resistance training modulates mitochondrial biogenesis; combined aerobic and resistance exercise further influences mitophagy by facilitating lysosomal biogenesis; high-intensity interval training enhances mitophagic function through the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics-related protein expression. (3) Exercise plays a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases through the regulation of mitophagy, which attenuates myocardial fibrosis, inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis, modulates myocardial oxidative stress, and improves endothelial cell function. These findings provide a novel perspective on how exercise promotes overall health and contributes to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Key words:

mitophagy, cardiovascular diseases, heart failure, myocardial hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, exercise, review

CLC Number: