International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review From Brain to Heart: Possible Role of Amyloid-β in Ischemic Heart Disease and Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Giulia Gagno 1, Federico Ferro 1, Alessandra Lucia Fluca 1, Milijana Janjusevic 1, Maddalena Rossi 1, Gianfranco Sinagra 1, Antonio Paolo Beltrami 2 , Rita Moretti 3 and Aneta Aleksova 1,* 1 Cardiothoracovascular Department, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI) and University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy;
[email protected] (G.G.); ff
[email protected] (F.F.); alessandrafl
[email protected] (A.L.F.);
[email protected] (M.J.);
[email protected] (M.R.);
[email protected] (G.S.) 2 Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy;
[email protected] 3 Department of Internal Medicine and Neurology, Neurological Clinic, 34100 Trieste, Italy;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] or
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-340-550-7762 Received: 3 December 2020; Accepted: 14 December 2020; Published: 17 December 2020 Abstract: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is among the leading causes of death in developed countries. Its pathological origin is traced back to coronary atherosclerosis, a lipid-driven immuno-inflammatory disease of the arteries that leads to multifocal plaque development. The primary clinical manifestation of IHD is acute myocardial infarction (AMI),) whose prognosis is ameliorated with optimal timing of revascularization. Paradoxically, myocardium re-perfusion can be detrimental because of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), an oxidative-driven process that damages other organs. Amyloid-β (Aβ) plays a physiological role in the central nervous system (CNS). Alterations in its synthesis, concentration and clearance have been connected to several pathologies, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).