Figure 3.

Protective versus detrimental role of autophagy in CAVD. Upon stimuli, cell undergoes different events depending on the grades of the impairment and the sensitivity of the cell: Basal autophagy defends cell against toxic molecules which result from harmful stimuli insult via the lysosomal-degrading pathway, thus cell grows and remains homeostasis (A). Stimulating autophagy in relatively mild perturbation setting is expected to hasten the removal of damaged components and favors phenotype maintenance and survival (B). In response to very harsh environmental condition, autophagy is not sufficient for the removal of cellular damage, followed by phenotype alteration and senescence (C). Under a long-term chronic state of stimuli, severe oxidative stress combined with excessive autophagic flux may also lead to DNA damage and promote cell death (D).