| Cardiovascular diseases comprise of non-communicable disorders that involve the heart and/or
blood vessels and have become the leading cause of death worldwide with increased prevalence
by age. mTORis a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase which play a central role in many
physiological processes including cardiovascular diseases, and also integrates various
proliferative signals, nutrient and energy abundance and stressful situations. mTOR also act as
central regulator during chronic stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and deregulated autophagy
which are associated with senescence. Under oxidative stress, mTOR has been reported to exert
protective effects regulating apoptosis and autophagy processes and favoring tissue repair. On
the other hand, inhibition of mTOR has been suggested to have beneficial effects against
atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, and also in extending the lifespan. In this
aspect, the use of drugs or natural compounds, which can target mTOR is an interesting approach
in order to reduce the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. In the present review,
we intend to shed light on the possible effects and molecular mechanism of natural agents like
polyphenols via regulating mTOR.
Keywords: Cardiovascular diseas |