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Caffeine consumption has been associated with lower risks for multiple diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. A new study shows that caffeine promotes the movement of a regulatory protein into mitochondria, enhancing their function and protecting cardiovascular cells from damage. The protective effect was reached at a concentration equivalent to consumption of four cups of coffee.
A protein-p27, an inhibitor of the cell cycle, was present in mitochondria in the major cell types of the heart. In these cells, mitochondrial p27 promoted migration of endothelial cells, protected heart muscle cells from cell death, and triggered the conversion of fibroblasts into cells containing contractile fibers crucial for repair of heart muscle after myocardial infarction.
Caffeine induced the movement of p27 into mitochondria, setting off this beneficial chain of events, and did so at a concentration that is reached in humans by drinking four cups of coffee. Caffeine was protective against heart damage in pre-diabetic, obese mice, and in aged mice.
Caffeine protects and repairs heart muscle through the action of mitochondrial p27. These can lead to better strategies for protecting heart muscle from damage, including consideration of coffee consumption or caffeine as an additional dietary factor for adult.
haleplushearty.org