# Emerging role of heme and heme degradation products in the modulation of cardiac ion channels

> **NIH NIH SC2** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY · 2021 · $148,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Over the past years, research from around the globe has focused on the consumption of red meat and the risk
of cardiovascular disease. This positive correlation has been linked to excess heme and its degradation
product iron (Fe2+), which are abundant in red meat. Heme serves as a stable cofactor consisting of an iron
(Fe2+) coordinated to a porphyrin-IX, often conferring gas sensitivity as exemplified in cytochromes,
hemoglobin, myoglobin, and soluble guanylyl cyclase. Excess heme in the system is catabolized by heme
oxygenase, which produces carbon monoxide (CO), iron and biliverdin. Emerging evidence, however,
suggests a new paradigm of the heme function; intracellular free heme can act as a potent non-genomic acute
signaling molecule capable of directly regulating ion channel proteins. Despite the probable physiological and
pathophysiological role of heme and other hemp-derived molecules, our knowledge of the acute
targets/effectors of heme signaling in the cardiovascular system is severely limited. The goal of this proposal is
to define the impacts of heme and heme degradation products (CO) on cardiovascular function by addressing
the following questions 1) How do heme and CO impact cardiac ion channels? 2) Does excess heme and CO
alter mitophagy in cardiac cells?

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10090373
- **Project number:** 1SC2GM139715-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nirakar Sahoo
- **Activity code:** SC2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $148,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-23 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10090373

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10090373, Emerging role of heme and heme degradation products in the modulation of cardiac ion channels (1SC2GM139715-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10090373. Licensed CC0.

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