Isolation and cultivation of Ca2+ tolerant cardiomyocytes from the adult rat: improvements and applications

Simple Method to Isolate Individual Mouse Cardiomyocytes Using Enzymatic Digestion via Retrograde Perfusion

Isolated single cardiomyocytes are commonly used to understand fundamental cardiac cell physiology and cell signaling at the molecular level. The protocol to isolate cardiomyocytes is under continual optimization between laboratories, despite being conducted for many years. The delicate nature of these cells coinciding with laboratory equipment variations can make the consistency of isolation challenging. The protocol described here presents a simple method to routinely isolate high-quality cardiomyocytes using Langendorff perfusion. This method provides cells well suited for analysis of physiological cellular calcium handling and spontaneous calcium release.

Electrophysiological Mechanism of Catestatin Antiarrhythmia: Enhancement of Ito, IK, and IK1 and Inhibition of ICa-L in Rat Ventricular Myocytes

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Myocardial ischemia and infarction, in particular, frequently cause disturbances in cardiac electrical activity that can trigger ventricular arrhythmias. We aimed to investigate whether catestatin, an endogenous catecholamine-inhibiting peptide, ameliorates myocardial ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias in rats and the underlying ionic mechanisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control and catestatin groups. Ventricular arrhythmias were induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and electrical stimulation. Action potential, transient outward potassium current, delayed rectifier potassium current, inward rectifying potassium current, and L-type calcium current (ICa-L) of rat ventricular myocytes were recorded using a patch-clamp technique. Catestatin notably reduced ventricular arrhythmia caused by myocardial ischemia/reperfusion and electrical stimulation of rats. In ventricular myocytes, catestatin markedly shortened the action potential duration of ventricular myocytes, which was counteracted by potassium channel antagonists TEACl and 4-AP, and ICa-L current channel agonist Bay K8644. In addition, catestatin significantly increased transient outward potassium current, delayed rectifier potassium current, and inward rectifying potassium current density in a concentration-dependent manner. Catestatin accelerated the activation and decelerated the inactivation of the transient outward potassium current channel. Furthermore, catestatin decreased ICa-L current density in a concentration-dependent manner. Catestatin also accelerated the inactivation of the ICa-L channel and slowed down the recovery of ICa-L from inactivation.

CONCLUSIONS

Catestatin enhances the activity of transient outward potassium current, delayed rectifier potassium current, and inward rectifying potassium current, while suppressing the ICa-L in ventricular myocytes, leading to shortened action potential duration and ultimately reducing the ventricular arrhythmia in rats.

Isolation of Atrial Cardiomyocytes from a Rat Model of Metabolic Syndrome-related Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

In this article, we describe an optimized, Langendorff-based procedure for the isolation of single-cell atrial cardiomyocytes (ACMs) from a rat model of metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The prevalence of MetS-related HFpEF is rising, and atrial cardiomyopathies associated with atrial remodeling and atrial fibrillation are clinically highly relevant as atrial remodeling is an independent predictor of mortality. Studies with isolated single-cell cardiomyocytes are frequently used to corroborate and complement in vivo findings. Circulatory vessel rarefication and interstitial tissue fibrosis pose a potentially limiting factor for the successful single-cell isolation of ACMs from animal models of this disease. We have addressed this issue by employing a device capable of manually regulating the intraluminal pressure of cardiac cavities during the isolation procedure, substantially increasing the yield of morphologically and functionally intact ACMs. The acquired cells can be used in a variety of different experiments, such as cell culture and functional Calcium imaging (i.e., excitation-contraction-coupling). We provide the researcher with a step-by-step protocol, a list of optimized solutions, thorough instructions to prepare the necessary equipment, and a comprehensive troubleshooting guide. While the initial implementation of the procedure might be rather difficult, a successful adaptation will allow the reader to perform state-of-the-art ACM isolations in a rat model of MetS-related HFpEF for a broad spectrum of experiments.

Preservation of cardiomyocytes from the adult heart

Cardiomyocytes represent one of the most useful models to conduct cardiac research. A single adult heart yields millions of cardiomyocytes, but these cells do not survive for long after isolation. We aimed to determine whether inhibition of myosin II ATPase that is essential for muscle contraction may preserve fully differentiated adult cardiomyocytes. Using inhibitors of the myosin II ATPase, blebbistatin and N-benzyl-p-toluene sulphonamide (BTS), we preserved freshly isolated fully differentiated adult primary cardiomyocytes that were stored at a refrigerated temperature. Specifically, preserved cardiomyocytes stayed viable for a 2-week period with a stable expression of cardiac genes and retained the expression of key markers characteristic of cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, voltage-clamp, action potential, calcium transient and contractility studies confirmed that the preserved cardiomyocytes are comparable to freshly isolated cells. Long-term exposure of preserved cardiomyocytes to four tyrosine kinase inhibitors, sunitinib malate, dasatinib, sorafenib tosylate and imatinib mesylate, revealed their potential to induce cardiac toxicity that was manifested with a decrease in contractility and induction of cell death, but this toxicity was not observed in acute experiments conducted over the time course amenable to freshly prepared cardiomyocytes. This study introduces the concept that the inhibition of myosin II ATPase safeguards the structure and function of fully differentiated adult cardiomyocytes. The fact that these preserved cardiomyocytes can be used for numerous days after preparation makes them a robust and versatile tool in cardiac research and allows the investigation of long-term exposure to novel drugs on cardiomyocyte function.

2,3-Butanedione monoxime does not protect cardiomyocytes under oxidative stress

Heart muscle ischemia-reperfusion provokes a pronounced cardiomyocyte oxidative stress. In the present study, we examined a possible protective effect of the cardioprotective drug, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), on the cultured neonatal cardiac myocytes exposed to oxidative stress induced by hypochlorous acid (HOCl), that may be formed by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils in myocardium ischemic-reperfusion areas, and a useful model oxidant, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP). Using isolated rat cardiomyocytes substantial cytotoxicity of HOCl and tBHP was demonstrated: The concentrations of HOCl and tBHP causing a 50% decrease of cardiomyocyte cell viability were estimated to be 55 +/- 5 microM and 36 +/- 6 microM, respectively. The cell viability measured immediately after the tBHP oxidative treatment was significantly higher than that measured after 22 h of cell post-incubation in a fresh culture medium. This showed delayed cell death after removing tBHP. Hypochlorous acid treatment of cardiomyocytes did not change cellular viability during the cellular post-incubation in a fresh medium. Even a long-term (22 h) incubation of oxidatively damaged cardiomyocytes with BDM (5 mM) added after the HOCl removal did not recover the viability of the HOCl-exposed cells. In the presence of BDM, the cytotoxicity of HOCl significantly increased probably due to a direct reaction of both compounds and toxic chlorinated derivative formation. 2,3-Butanedione monoxime (5 mM) did not reduce cytotoxicity of tBHP, either. Such well-known antioxidative agents as melatonin or glutathione considerably prevented oxidant-induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner.

The use of animal models in developing the discipline of cardiovascular tissue engineering: a review

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the major causes of death and disability in the Western world. Tissue engineering offers the prospect of being able to meet the demand for replacement of heart valves, vessels for coronary and lower limb bypass surgery and the generation of cardiac tissue for addition to the diseased heart. In order to test prospective tissue-engineered devices, these constructs must first be proven in animal models before receiving CE marking or FDA approval for a clinical trial. The choice of animal depends on the nature of the tissue-engineered construct being tested. Factors that need to be considered include technical requirements of implanting the construct, availability of the animal, cost and ethical considerations. In this paper, we review the history of animal studies in cardiovascular tissue engineering and the uses of animal tissue as sources for tissue engineering.

PCBs alter gene expression of nuclear transcription factors and other heart-specific genes in cultures of primary cardiomyocytes: possible implications for cardiotoxicity

1. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are well-known environmental pollutants that bioaccumulate mainly in the fatty tissue of animals and humans. Although contamination occurs primarily via the food chain, waste combustion leads to airborne PCBs. From epidemiological studies, there is substantial evidence that cardiovascular disease is linked to air pollution, but little is known about the underlying molecular events. 2. We investigated the effects of Aroclor 1254, a complex mixture of >80 PCB isomers and congeners, on the expression of nuclear transcription factors (GATA-4, Nkx-2.5, MEF-2c, OCT-1) and of downstream target genes (atrial and brain natriuretic peptide, alpha- and beta-myosin heavy chain, alpha-cardiac and alpha-skeletal actin), which play an important role in cardiac biology. 3. We treated cultures of primary cardiomyocytes of adult rats with Aroclor 1254 (10.0 micro M) and found significant induction of the transcription factor genes GATA-4 and MEF-2c and of genes regulated by these factors, i.e. atrial natriuretic peptide, brain-type natriuretic peptide, alpha- and beta-myosin heavy chain, and skeletal alpha actin. 4. We have shown PCBs to modulate expression of genes coding for programmes of cellular differentiation and stress (e.g. atrial natriuretic peptide, brain-type natriuretic peptide) and these alterations may be important in the increase of cardiovascular disease in polluted areas.

Testosterone, cytochrome P450, and cardiac hypertrophy

Cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases (CYP) play an essential role in steroid metabolism, and there is speculation that sex hormones might influence cardiac mass and physiology. As CYP mono-oxygenases activity is frequently altered during disease, we tested our hypothesis that CYP mono-oxygenase expression and testosterone metabolism are altered in cardiac hypertrophy. We investigate major CYP mono-oxygenase isoforms and other steroid-metabolizing enzymes and the androgen receptor in normal, hypertrophic, and assist device-supported human hearts and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). We show increased and idiosyncratic metabolism of testosterone in hypertrophic heart and link these changes to altered CYP mono-oxygenase expression. We show significant induction of 5-alpha steroid reductase and P450 aromatase gene expression and enhanced production of dihydrotestosterone, which can be inhibited by the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor finasteride. We show increased gene expression of the androgen receptor and increased levels of lipid peroxidation in diseased hearts, the latter being markedly inhibited by CYP mono-oxygenase inactivation. We show alpha-MHC to be significantly repressed in cardiac hypertrophy and restored to normal on testosterone supplementation. We conclude that heart-specific steroid metabolism is of critical importance in cardiac hypertrophy

Verapamil: new insight into the molecular mechanism of drug oxidation in the human heart

Verapamil is a commonly prescribed cardiovascular drug, but surprisingly its metabolism in the target tissue of pharmacotherapy is basically unknown. We therefore investigated its biotransformation in human heart tissue and correlate the production of metabolites with the gene expression of major drug metabolising enzymes. Using electrospray LC-MS-MS and LC-MS3 experiments, a total of nine metabolites were observed in incubation experiments with verapamil and microsomes isolated from the human heart tissue, and this included a carbinolamine-, N-formyl-, ahemiacetale-, and formate-intermediate of N-demethyl- and O-demethylverapamil. We also observed a hydroxylation product at the benzylic position of atom C-7 (M9). Metabolites M5-M9 are novel and were not observed in previous studies with liver or other human tissues. A fine example of the considerable metabolic competence of human heart is the formation of M1-M4, e.g. dealkylverapamil, norverapamil and isomers of O-demethylverapamil, which were believed to be exclusively produced by the liver.