Variable outcomes of human heart attack recapitulated in genetically diverse mice

Genetic diversity leads to differential inflammatory responses to cigarette smoke in mice

The use of genetically diverse mouse models offers a more accurate reflection of human genetic variability, improving the translatability of findings to heterogeneous human populations. This approach is particularly valuable in understanding diverse immune responses to disease by environmental exposures. This study investigates the inflammatory responses to acute exposures to mainstream cigarette smoke (CS) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in two genetically diverse mouse strains, CC002/UncJ (UNC) & Diversity Outbred (J:DO). The UM-HET3 (HET3) mouse strain, typically used in aging intervention studies, has also been used to evaluate the translatability of this model for age-associated pathologies. The study involves a comprehensive approach, including BALF cytokine analysis, evaluation of lung tissue architecture, assessment of macrophages and its associated proteins (MMP9 & MMP12) abundance. Several cytokines/chemokines were found to be upregulated across three strains. Notably, the UNC strain exclusively showed upregulation of TNF-α, IL-17A, and IL-13, whereas the J:DO showed an upregulation in KC. The number of alveolar macrophages in the lungs of UNC mice was very low at baseline compared to other strains studied in this study, which is indicative of some inherent shift in the pulmonary immune profiles of these inbred mice. In contrast, the J:DO strain, characterized by genetic outbreeding, showed a much more robust lung macrophage response comparable to C57BL/6J. The findings provide valuable insight into how genetic diversity affects immune responses in response to acute CS/ETS exposure, with implications for understanding diverse human responses to environmental stressors in studying lung pathophysiology.

Twenty-first century mouse genetics is again at an inflection point

The laboratory mouse has been the premier model organism for biomedical research owing to the availability of multiple well-characterized inbred strains, its mammalian physiology and its homozygous genome, and because experiments can be performed under conditions that control environmental variables. Moreover, its genome can be genetically modified to assess the impact of allelic variation on phenotype. Mouse models have been used to discover or test many therapies that are commonly used today. Mouse genetic discoveries are often made using genome-wide association study methods that compare allelic differences in panels of inbred mouse strains with their phenotypic responses. Here we examine changes in the methods used to analyze mouse genetic models of biomedical traits during the twenty-first century. To do this, we first examine where mouse genetics was before the first inflection point, which was just before the revolution in genome sequencing that occurred 20 years ago, and then describe the factors that have accelerated the pace of mouse genetic discovery. We focus on mouse genetic studies that have generated findings that either were translated to humans or could impact clinical medicine or drug development. We next explore how advances in computational capabilities and in DNA sequencing methodology during the past 20 years could enhance the ability of mouse genetics to produce solutions for twenty-first century public-health problems.

Spatially clustered type I interferon responses at injury borderzones

Sterile inflammation after myocardial infarction is classically credited to myeloid cells interacting with dead cell debris in the infarct zone1,2. Here we show that cardiomyocytes are the dominant initiators of a previously undescribed type I interferon response in the infarct borderzone. Using spatial transcriptomics analysis in mice and humans, we find that myocardial infarction induces colonies of interferon-induced cells (IFNICs) expressing interferon-stimulated genes decorating the borderzone, where cardiomyocytes experience mechanical stress, nuclear rupture and escape of chromosomal DNA. Cardiomyocyte-selective deletion of Irf3 abrogated IFNIC colonies, whereas mice lacking Irf3 in fibroblasts, macrophages, neutrophils or endothelial cells, Ccr2-deficient mice or plasmacytoid-dendritic-cell-depleted mice did not. Interferons blunted the protective matricellular programs and contractile function of borderzone fibroblasts, and increased vulnerability to pathological remodelling. In mice that died after myocardial infarction, IFNIC colonies were immediately adjacent to sites of ventricular rupture, while mice lacking IFNICs were protected from rupture and exhibited improved survival3. Together, these results reveal a pathological borderzone niche characterized by a cardiomyocyte-initiated innate immune response. We suggest that selective inhibition of IRF3 activation in non-immune cells could limit ischaemic cardiomyopathy while avoiding broad immunosuppression.

Revisiting Cardiac Biology in the Era of Single Cell and Spatial Omics

Throughout our lifetime, each beat of the heart requires the coordinated action of multiple cardiac cell types. Understanding cardiac cell biology, its intricate microenvironments, and the mechanisms that govern their function in health and disease are crucial to designing novel therapeutical and behavioral interventions. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial omics technologies have significantly propelled this understanding, offering novel insights into the cellular diversity and function and the complex interactions of cardiac tissue. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the cellular landscape of the heart, bridging the gap between suspension-based and emerging in situ approaches, focusing on the experimental and computational challenges, comparative analyses of mouse and human cardiac systems, and the rising contextualization of cardiac cells within their niches. As we explore the heart at this unprecedented resolution, integrating insights from both mouse and human studies will pave the way for novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions, ultimately improving outcomes for patients with cardiovascular diseases.

A kinase-dead natural polymorphism in the canine Tnni3k gene

Most mammalian cardiomyocytes become polyploid in the neonatal period, concurrent with their loss of proliferative capacity. In mice, natural or engineered mutation of the cardiomyocyte-specific kinase gene Tnni3k causes a higher level of diploid CMs and a higher capacity to support proliferation after adult injury. Here, we identified a polymorphism in the canine Tnni3k gene that is particularly common in the West Highland White Terrier breed, and show that this variant eliminates Tnni3k kinase activity. Thus, in several species, natural Tnni3k polymorphisms exist that are predicted to contribute to variation in diploid CM level and heart regenerative ability.

Animal models to study cardiac regeneration

Permanent fibrosis and chronic deterioration of heart function in patients after myocardial infarction present a major health-care burden worldwide. In contrast to the restricted potential for cellular and functional regeneration of the adult mammalian heart, a robust capacity for cardiac regeneration is seen during the neonatal period in mammals as well as in the adults of many fish and amphibian species. However, we lack a complete understanding as to why cardiac regeneration takes place more efficiently in some species than in others. The capacity of the heart to regenerate after injury is controlled by a complex network of cellular and molecular mechanisms that form a regulatory landscape, either permitting or restricting regeneration. In this Review, we provide an overview of the diverse array of vertebrates that have been studied for their cardiac regenerative potential and discuss differential heart regeneration outcomes in closely related species. Additionally, we summarize current knowledge about the core mechanisms that regulate cardiac regeneration across vertebrate species.

A review on experimental surgical models and anesthetic protocols of heart failure in rats

Heart failure (HF) is a serious health and economic burden worldwide, and its prevalence is continuously increasing. Current medications effectively moderate the progression of symptoms, and there is a need for novel preventative and reparative treatments. The development of novel HF treatments requires the testing of potential therapeutic procedures in appropriate animal models of HF. During the past decades, murine models have been extensively used in fundamental and translational research studies to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of HF and develop more effective methods to prevent and control congestive HF. Proper surgical approaches and anesthetic protocols are the first steps in creating these models, and each successful approach requires a proper anesthetic protocol that maintains good recovery and high survival rates after surgery. However, each protocol may have shortcomings that limit the study's outcomes. In addition, the ethical regulations of animal welfare in certain countries prohibit the use of specific anesthetic agents, which are widely used to establish animal models. This review summarizes the most common and recent surgical models of HF and the anesthetic protocols used in rat models. We will highlight the surgical approach of each model, the use of anesthesia, and the limitations of the model in the study of the pathophysiology and therapeutic basis of common cardiovascular diseases.

Genetic Mapping of Behavioral Traits Using the Collaborative Cross Resource

The complicated interactions between genetic background, environment and lifestyle factors make it difficult to study the genetic basis of complex phenotypes, such as cognition and anxiety levels, in humans. However, environmental and other factors can be tightly controlled in mouse studies. The Collaborative Cross (CC) is a mouse genetic reference population whose common genetic and phenotypic diversity is on par with that of humans. Therefore, we leveraged the power of the CC to assess 52 behavioral measures associated with locomotor activity, anxiety level, learning and memory. This is the first application of the CC in novel object recognition tests, Morris water maze tasks, and fear conditioning tests. We found substantial continuous behavioral variations across the CC strains tested, and mapped six quantitative trait loci (QTLs) which influenced these traits, defining candidate genetic variants underlying these QTLs. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of the CC population in behavioral genetic research, while the identified genomic loci and genes driving the variation of relevant behavioral traits provide a foundation for further studies.

Genome-wide transcript and protein analysis highlights the role of protein homeostasis in the aging mouse heart

Investigation of the molecular mechanisms of aging in the human heart is challenging because of confounding factors, such as diet and medications, as well as limited access to tissues from healthy aging individuals. The laboratory mouse provides an ideal model to study aging in healthy individuals in a controlled environment. However, previous mouse studies have examined only a narrow range of the genetic variation that shapes individual differences during aging. Here, we analyze transcriptome and proteome data from 185 genetically diverse male and female mice at ages 6, 12, and 18 mo to characterize molecular changes that occur in the aging heart. Transcripts and proteins reveal activation of pathways related to exocytosis and cellular transport with age, whereas processes involved in protein folding decrease with age. Additional changes are apparent only in the protein data including reduced fatty acid oxidation and increased autophagy. For proteins that form complexes, we see a decline in correlation between their component subunits with age, suggesting age-related loss of stoichiometry. The most affected complexes are themselves involved in protein homeostasis, which potentially contributes to a cycle of progressive breakdown in protein quality control with age. Our findings highlight the important role of post-transcriptional regulation in aging. In addition, we identify genetic loci that modulate age-related changes in protein homeostasis, suggesting that genetic variation can alter the molecular aging process.

Measuring cardiomyocyte cell-cycle activity and proliferation in the age of heart regeneration

During the past two decades, the field of mammalian myocardial regeneration has grown dramatically, and with this expanded interest comes increasing claims of experimental manipulations that mediate bona fide proliferation of cardiomyocytes. Too often, however, insufficient evidence or improper controls are provided to support claims that cardiomyocytes have definitively proliferated, a process that should be strictly defined as the generation of two de novo functional cardiomyocytes from one original cardiomyocyte. Throughout the literature, one finds inconsistent levels of experimental rigor applied, and frequently the specific data supplied as evidence of cardiomyocyte proliferation simply indicate cell-cycle activation or DNA synthesis, which do not necessarily lead to the generation of new cardiomyocytes. In this review, we highlight potential problems and limitations faced when characterizing cardiomyocyte proliferation in the mammalian heart, and summarize tools and experimental standards, which should be used to support claims of proliferation-based remuscularization. In the end, definitive establishment of de novo cardiomyogenesis can be difficult to prove; therefore, rigorous experimental strategies should be used for such claims.

Integrative analysis reveals mouse strain-dependent responses to acute ozone exposure associated with airway macrophage transcriptional activity

Acute ozone (O3) exposure is associated with multiple adverse cardiorespiratory outcomes, the severity of which varies across individuals in human populations and inbred mouse strains. However, molecular determinants of response, including susceptibility biomarkers that distinguish who will develop severe injury and inflammation, are not well characterized. We and others have demonstrated that airway macrophages (AMs) are an important resident immune cell type that are functionally and transcriptionally responsive to O3 inhalation. Here, we sought to explore influences of strain, exposure, and strain-by-O3 exposure interactions on AM gene expression and identify transcriptional correlates of O3-induced inflammation and injury across six mouse strains, including five Collaborative Cross (CC) strains. We exposed adult mice of both sexes to filtered air (FA) or 2 ppm O3 for 3 h and measured inflammatory and injury parameters 21 h later. Mice exposed to O3 developed airway neutrophilia and lung injury with strain-dependent severity. In AMs, we identified a common core O3 transcriptional response signature across all strains, as well as a set of genes exhibiting strain-by-O3 exposure interactions. In particular, a prominent gene expression contrast emerged between a low- (CC017/Unc) and high-responding (CC003/Unc) strain, as reflected by cellular inflammation and injury. Further inspection indicated that differences in their baseline gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles likely contribute to their divergent post-O3 exposure transcriptional responses. Together, these results suggest that aspects of O3-induced respiratory responses are mediated through altered AM transcriptional signatures and further confirm the importance of gene-environment interactions in mediating differential responsiveness to environmental agents.

Ischemic tolerance and cardiac repair in the spiny mouse (Acomys)

Ischemic heart disease and by extension myocardial infarction is the primary cause of death worldwide, warranting regenerative therapies to restore heart function. Current models of natural heart regeneration are restricted in that they are not of adult mammalian origin, precluding the study of class-specific traits that have emerged throughout evolution, and reducing translatability of research findings to humans. Here, we present the spiny mouse (Acomys spp.), a murid rodent that exhibits bona fide regeneration of the back skin and ear pinna, as a model to study heart repair. By comparing them to ordinary mice (Mus musculus), we show that the acute injury response in spiny mice is similar, but with an associated tolerance to infarction through superior survivability, improved ventricular conduction, and near-absence of pathological remodeling. Critically, spiny mice display increased vascularization, altered scar organization, and a more immature phenotype of cardiomyocytes, with a corresponding improvement in heart function. These findings present new avenues for mammalian heart research by leveraging unique tissue properties of the spiny mouse.

Adult spiny mice (Acomys) exhibit endogenous cardiac recovery in response to myocardial infarction

Complex tissue regeneration is extremely rare among adult mammals. An exception, however, is the superior tissue healing of multiple organs in spiny mice (Acomys). While Acomys species exhibit the remarkable ability to heal complex tissue with minimal scarring, little is known about their cardiac structure and response to cardiac injury. In this study, we first examined baseline Acomys cardiac anatomy and function in comparison with commonly used inbred and outbred laboratory Mus strains (C57BL6 and CFW). While our results demonstrated comparable cardiac anatomy and function between Acomys and Mus, Acomys exhibited a higher percentage of cardiomyocytes displaying distinct characteristics. In response to myocardial infarction, all animals experienced a comparable level of initial cardiac damage. However, Acomys demonstrated superior ischemic tolerance and cytoprotection in response to injury as evidenced by cardiac functional stabilization, higher survival rate, and smaller scar size 50 days after injury compared to the inbred and outbred mouse strains. This phenomenon correlated with enhanced endothelial cell proliferation, increased angiogenesis, and medium vessel maturation in the peri-infarct and infarct regions. Overall, these findings demonstrate augmented myocardial preservation in spiny mice post-MI and establish Acomys as a new adult mammalian model for cardiac research.

Preclinical models of myocardial infarction: from mechanism to translation

Approximately 7 million people are affected by acute myocardial infarction (MI) each year, and despite significant therapeutic and diagnostic advancements, MI remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Preclinical animal models have significantly advanced our understanding of MI and have enabled the development of therapeutic strategies to combat this debilitating disease. Notably, some drugs currently used to treat MI and heart failure (HF) in patients had initially been studied in preclinical animal models. Despite this, preclinical models are limited in their ability to fully reproduce the complexity of MI in humans. The preclinical model must be carefully selected to maximise the translational potential of experimental findings. This review describes current experimental models of MI and considers how they have been used to understand drug mechanisms of action and support translational medicine development.

Cross-Priming Dendritic Cells Exacerbate Immunopathology After Ischemic Tissue Damage in the Heart

BACKGROUND

Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of heart failure and despite advanced therapeutic options, morbidity and mortality rates remain high. Although acute inflammation in response to myocardial cell death has been extensively studied, subsequent adaptive immune activity and anti-heart autoimmunity may also contribute to the development of heart failure. After ischemic injury to the myocardium, dendritic cells (DC) respond to cardiomyocyte necrosis, present cardiac antigen to T cells, and potentially initiate a persistent autoimmune response against the heart. Cross-priming DC have the ability to activate both CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in response to necrotic cells and may thus be crucial players in exacerbating autoimmunity targeting the heart. This study investigates a role for cross-priming DC in post-myocardial infarction immunopathology through presentation of self-antigen from necrotic cardiac cells to cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.

METHODS

We induced type 2 myocardial infarction-like ischemic injury in the heart by treatment with a single high dose of the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. We characterized the DC population in the heart and mediastinal lymph nodes and analyzed long-term cardiac immunopathology and functional decline in wild type and Clec9a-depleted mice lacking DC cross-priming function.

RESULTS

A diverse DC population, including cross-priming DC, is present in the heart and activated after ischemic injury. Clec9a-/- mice deficient in DC cross-priming are protected from persistent immune-mediated myocardial damage and decline of cardiac function, likely because of dampened activation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.

CONCLUSION

Activation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells by cross-priming DC contributes to exacerbation of postischemic inflammatory damage of the myocardium and corresponding decline in cardiac function. Importantly, this provides novel therapeutic targets to prevent postischemic immunopathology and heart failure.

Mouse models of myocardial infarction: comparing permanent ligation and ischaemia-reperfusion

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a disease of major consequence in the modern world, causing permanent, irreversible damage to the heart. Survivors are at risk for developing further cardiovascular pathologies such as heart failure. Further study of MI injury is crucial to improve the understanding and treatment of the post-MI heart. The most commonly used model for MI in vivo is surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). There are two predominant approaches: permanent ligation (PL), where the LAD is permanently occluded with a suture, or ischaemia-reperfusion (IR), where the LAD is temporarily occluded before removing the suture to restore blood flow and tissue reperfusion. PL results in the majority of the area at risk becoming infarcted, leading to significant apoptotic cell death and a large scar. Conversely, IR salvages some of the area at risk; thus, the scar is smaller and includes reperfusion injury, an additional, albeit smaller, second wave of necrotic damage. PL may be a more appropriate model choice for studies of heart tissue injury and wound healing, owing to the larger, more consistent infarcts, while IR enables the study of reperfusion injury. Both are clinically relevant, and the choice of model depends upon the precise pre-clinical research questions to be addressed.

Summary: Permanent ligation and ischaemia-reperfusion are common models for studying myocardial infarction. Here, we summarise the differences between them and outline the strengths of each in addressing distinct questions related to the human condition.

An Update on Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Production

Mitochondria are quantifiably the most important sources of superoxide (O₂^●-) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in mammalian cells. The overproduction of these molecules has been studied mostly in the contexts of the pathogenesis of human diseases and aging. However, controlled bursts in mitochondrial ROS production, most notably H₂O₂, also plays a vital role in the transmission of cellular information. Striking a balance between utilizing H₂O₂ in second messaging whilst avoiding its deleterious effects requires the use of sophisticated feedback control and H₂O₂ degrading mechanisms. Mitochondria are enriched with H₂O₂ degrading enzymes to desensitize redox signals. These organelles also use a series of negative feedback loops, such as proton leaks or protein S-glutathionylation, to inhibit H₂O₂ production. Understanding how mitochondria produce ROS is also important for comprehending how these organelles use H₂O₂ in eustress signaling. Indeed, twelve different enzymes associated with nutrient metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) can serve as important ROS sources. This includes several flavoproteins and respiratory complexes I-III. Progress in understanding how mitochondria generate H₂O₂ for signaling must also account for critical physiological factors that strongly influence ROS production, such as sex differences and genetic variances in genes encoding antioxidants and proteins involved in mitochondrial bioenergetics. In the present review, I provide an updated view on how mitochondria budget cellular H₂O₂ production. These discussions will focus on the potential addition of two acyl-CoA dehydrogenases to the list of ROS generators and the impact of important phenotypic and physiological factors such as tissue type, mouse strain, and sex on production by these individual sites.

Characterization of the variability in the extent of nonalcoholic fatty liver induced by a high-fat diet in the genetically diverse Collaborative Cross mouse model

Interindividual variability and sexual dimorphisms in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are still poorly understood. In the present study, male and female strains of Collaborative Cross (CC) mice were fed a high-fat and high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet or a control diet for 12 weeks to investigate interindividual- and sex-specific variations in the development of NAFLD. The severity of liver steatosis varied between sexes and individual strains and was accompanied by an elevation of serum markers of insulin resistance, including increases in total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins, phospholipids, and glucose. The development of NAFLD was associated with overexpression of the critical fatty acid uptake and de novo lipogenesis genes Pparg, Mogat1, Cd36, Acaab1, Fabp2, and Gdf15 in male and female mice. The expression of Pparg, Mogat1, and Cd36 was positively correlated with liver triglycerides in male mice, and Mogat1 and Cd36 expression were positively correlated with liver triglycerides in female mice. Our results indicate the value of CC mice in combination with HF/HS diet-induced alterations as an approach to study the susceptibility and interindividual variabilities in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver and early nonalcoholic steatohepatitis at the population level, uncovering of susceptible and resistant cohorts, and identifying sex-specific molecular determinants of disease susceptibility.

Cardiopoietic stem cell therapy restores infarction-altered cardiac proteome

Cardiopoietic stem cells have reached advanced clinical testing for ischemic heart failure. To profile their molecular influence on recipient hearts, systems proteomics was here applied in a chronic model of infarction randomized with and without human cardiopoietic stem cell treatment. Multidimensional label-free tandem mass spectrometry resolved and quantified 3987 proteins constituting the cardiac proteome. Infarction altered 450 proteins, reduced to 283 by stem cell treatment. Notably, cell therapy non-stochastically reversed a majority of infarction-provoked changes, remediating 85% of disease-affected protein clusters. Pathway and network analysis decoded functional reorganization, distinguished by prioritization of vasculogenesis, cardiac development, organ regeneration, and differentiation. Subproteome restoration nullified adverse ischemic effects, validated by echo-/electro-cardiographic documentation of improved cardiac chamber size, reduced QT prolongation and augmented ejection fraction post-cell therapy. Collectively, cardiopoietic stem cell intervention transitioned infarcted hearts from a cardiomyopathic trajectory towards pre-disease. Systems proteomics thus offers utility to delineate and interpret complex molecular regenerative outcomes.

Dynamic Interstitial Cell Response during Myocardial Infarction Predicts Resilience to Rupture in Genetically Diverse Mice

Cardiac ischemia leads to the loss of myocardial tissue and the activation of a repair process that culminates in the formation of a scar whose structural characteristics dictate propensity to favorable healing or detrimental cardiac wall rupture. To elucidate the cellular processes underlying scar formation, here we perform unbiased single-cell mRNA sequencing of interstitial cells isolated from infarcted mouse hearts carrying a genetic tracer that labels epicardial-derived cells. Sixteen interstitial cell clusters are revealed, five of which were of epicardial origin. Focusing on stromal cells, we define 11 sub-clusters, including diverse cell states of epicardial- and endocardial-derived fibroblasts. Comparing transcript profiles from post-infarction hearts in C57BL/6J and 129S1/SvImJ inbred mice, which displays a marked divergence in the frequency of cardiac rupture, uncovers an early increase in activated myofibroblasts, enhanced collagen deposition, and persistent acute phase response in 129S1/SvImJ mouse hearts, defining a crucial time window of pathological remodeling that predicts disease outcome.

Susceptibility Variations in Air Pollution Health Effects: Incorporating Neuroendocrine Activation

Diverse host factors/phenotypes may exacerbate or diminish biological responses induced by air pollutant exposure. We lack an understanding of biological indicators of environmental exposures that culminate in a physiological response versus those that lead to adversity. Variations in response phenotype might arise centrally and/or at the local tissue level. In addition to genetic differences, the current evidence supports the roles of preexisting cardiopulmonary diseases, diabetes, diet, adverse prenatal environments, neurobehavioral disorders, childhood infections, microbiome, sex, and psychosocial stressors in modifying the susceptibility to air pollutant exposures. Animal models of human diseases, obesity, nutritional inadequacies, and neurobehavioral conditions have been compared with healthy controls to understand the causes of variations in susceptibility. Although psychosocial stressors have been associated with increased susceptibility to air pollutant effects, the contribution of neuroendocrine stress pathways in mediating these effects is just emerging. The new findings of neuroendocrine activation leading to systemic metabolic and immunological effects of air pollutants, and the potential contribution to allostatic load, emphasize the consideration of these mechanisms into susceptibility. Variations in susceptibility to air pollution health effects are likely to underlie host genetic and physiological conditions in concert with disrupted neuroendocrine circuitry that alters physiological stability under the influence of stressors.