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Fabritz L, Fortmueller L, Gehmlich K, Kant S, Kemper M, Kucerova D, Syeda F, Faber C, Leube RE, Kirchhof P, Krusche CA. Endurance Training Provokes Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Phenotype in Heterozygous Desmoglein-2 Mutants: Alleviation by Preload Reduction. Biomedicines 2024; 12:985. [PMID: 38790949 PMCID: PMC11117820 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12050985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Desmoglein-2 mutations are detected in 5-10% of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Endurance training accelerates the development of the ARVC phenotype, leading to earlier arrhythmic events. Homozygous Dsg2 mutant mice develop a severe ARVC-like phenotype. The phenotype of heterozygous mutant (Dsg2mt/wt) or haploinsufficient (Dsg20/wt) mice is still not well understood. To assess the effects of age and endurance swim training, we studied cardiac morphology and function in sedentary one-year-old Dsg2mt/wt and Dsg20/wt mice and in young Dsg2mt/wt mice exposed to endurance swim training. Cardiac structure was only occasionally affected in aged Dsg20/wt and Dsg2mt/wt mice manifesting as small fibrotic foci and displacement of Connexin 43. Endurance swim training increased the right ventricular (RV) diameter and decreased RV function in Dsg2mt/wt mice but not in wild types. Dsg2mt/wt hearts showed increased ventricular activation times and pacing-induced ventricular arrhythmia without obvious fibrosis or inflammation. Preload-reducing therapy during training prevented RV enlargement and alleviated the electrophysiological phenotype. Taken together, endurance swim training induced features of ARVC in young adult Dsg2mt/wt mice. Prolonged ventricular activation times in the hearts of trained Dsg2mt/wt mice are therefore a potential mechanism for increased arrhythmia risk. Preload-reducing therapy prevented training-induced ARVC phenotype pointing to beneficial treatment options in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Fabritz
- University Center of Cardiovascular Science and Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (L.F.); (P.K.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (K.G.); (M.K.); (F.S.)
- Department of Cardiology, Section of Rhythmology, University Hospital Muenster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Lisa Fortmueller
- University Center of Cardiovascular Science and Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (L.F.); (P.K.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Cardiology, Section of Rhythmology, University Hospital Muenster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Katja Gehmlich
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (K.G.); (M.K.); (F.S.)
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
| | - Sebastian Kant
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy (MOCA), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.K.); (R.E.L.)
| | - Marcel Kemper
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (K.G.); (M.K.); (F.S.)
- Department of Cardiology, Section of Rhythmology, University Hospital Muenster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Dana Kucerova
- Department of Cardiology, Section of Rhythmology, University Hospital Muenster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Fahima Syeda
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (K.G.); (M.K.); (F.S.)
| | - Cornelius Faber
- Clinic of Radiology, Translational Research Imaging Center (TRIC), University of Muenster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Rudolf E. Leube
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy (MOCA), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.K.); (R.E.L.)
| | - Paulus Kirchhof
- University Center of Cardiovascular Science and Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center, University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (L.F.); (P.K.)
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (K.G.); (M.K.); (F.S.)
| | - Claudia A. Krusche
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy (MOCA), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (S.K.); (R.E.L.)
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Yang D, Wan X, Schwieterman N, Cavus O, Kacira E, Xu X, Laurita KR, Wold LE, Hund TJ, Mohler PJ, Deschênes I, Fu JD. MicroRNA-1 Deficiency Is a Primary Etiological Factor Disrupting Cardiac Contractility and Electrophysiological Homeostasis. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2024; 17:e012150. [PMID: 38126205 PMCID: PMC10842700 DOI: 10.1161/circep.123.012150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNA-1 (miR1), encoded by the genes miR1-1 and miR1-2, is the most abundant microRNA in the heart and plays a critical role in heart development and physiology. Dysregulation of miR1 has been associated with various heart diseases, where a significant reduction (>75%) in miR1 expression has been observed in patient hearts with atrial fibrillation or acute myocardial infarction. However, it remains uncertain whether miR1-deficiency acts as a primary etiological factor of cardiac remodeling. METHODS miR1-1 or miR1-2 knockout mice were crossbred to produce 75%-miR1-knockdown (75%KD; miR1-1+/-:miR1-2-/- or miR1-1-/-:miR1-2+/-) mice. Cardiac pathology of 75%KD cardiomyocytes/hearts was investigated by ECG, patch clamping, optical mapping, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. RESULTS In adult 75%KD hearts, the overall miR1 expression was reduced to ≈25% of the normal wild-type level. These adult 75%KD hearts displayed decreased ejection fraction and fractional shortening, prolonged QRS and QT intervals, and high susceptibility to arrhythmias. Adult 75%KD cardiomyocytes exhibited prolonged action potentials with impaired repolarization and excitation-contraction coupling. Comparatively, 75%KD cardiomyocytes showcased reduced Na+ current and transient outward potassium current, coupled with elevated L-type Ca2+ current, as opposed to wild-type cells. RNA sequencing and proteomics assays indicated negative regulation of cardiac muscle contraction and ion channel activities, along with a positive enrichment of smooth muscle contraction genes in 75%KD cardiomyocytes/hearts. miR1 deficiency led to dysregulation of a wide gene network, with miR1's RNA interference-direct targets influencing many indirectly regulated genes. Furthermore, after 6 weeks of bi-weekly intravenous tail-vein injection of miR1 mimics, the ejection fraction and fractional shortening of 75%KD hearts showed significant improvement but remained susceptible to arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS miR1 deficiency acts as a primary etiological factor in inducing cardiac remodeling via disrupting heart regulatory homeostasis. Achieving stable and appropriate microRNA expression levels in the heart is critical for effective microRNA-based therapy in cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Yang
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Xiaoping Wan
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Neill Schwieterman
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Dept of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Omer Cavus
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
- Pennsylvania State University, Heart and Vascular Institute, Hershey, PA
| | - Ege Kacira
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Xianyao Xu
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Depts of Internal Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Kenneth R. Laurita
- Dept of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Research Center, The MetroHealth System, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | - Loren E. Wold
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Dept of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Thomas J. Hund
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Depts of Internal Medicine & Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Peter J. Mohler
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Isabelle Deschênes
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Ji-Dong Fu
- The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Frick Center for Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Dept of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus
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Grandi E, Navedo MF, Saucerman JJ, Bers DM, Chiamvimonvat N, Dixon RE, Dobrev D, Gomez AM, Harraz OF, Hegyi B, Jones DK, Krogh-Madsen T, Murfee WL, Nystoriak MA, Posnack NG, Ripplinger CM, Veeraraghavan R, Weinberg S. Diversity of cells and signals in the cardiovascular system. J Physiol 2023; 601:2547-2592. [PMID: 36744541 PMCID: PMC10313794 DOI: 10.1113/jp284011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This white paper is the outcome of the seventh UC Davis Cardiovascular Research Symposium on Systems Approach to Understanding Cardiovascular Disease and Arrhythmia. This biannual meeting aims to bring together leading experts in subfields of cardiovascular biomedicine to focus on topics of importance to the field. The theme of the 2022 Symposium was 'Cell Diversity in the Cardiovascular System, cell-autonomous and cell-cell signalling'. Experts in the field contributed their experimental and mathematical modelling perspectives and discussed emerging questions, controversies, and challenges in examining cell and signal diversity, co-ordination and interrelationships involved in cardiovascular function. This paper originates from the topics of formal presentations and informal discussions from the Symposium, which aimed to develop a holistic view of how the multiple cell types in the cardiovascular system integrate to influence cardiovascular function, disease progression and therapeutic strategies. The first section describes the major cell types (e.g. cardiomyocytes, vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, fibroblasts, neurons, immune cells, etc.) and the signals involved in cardiovascular function. The second section emphasizes the complexity at the subcellular, cellular and system levels in the context of cardiovascular development, ageing and disease. Finally, the third section surveys the technological innovations that allow the interrogation of this diversity and advancing our understanding of the integrated cardiovascular function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Grandi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Manuel F. Navedo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Saucerman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Donald M. Bers
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nipavan Chiamvimonvat
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rose E. Dixon
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Dobromir Dobrev
- Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ana M. Gomez
- Signaling and Cardiovascular Pathophysiology-UMR-S 1180, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Osama F. Harraz
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, and Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Bence Hegyi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David K. Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Trine Krogh-Madsen
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Walter Lee Murfee
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Matthew A. Nystoriak
- Department of Medicine, Division of Environmental Medicine, Center for Cardiometabolic Science, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Nikki G. Posnack
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric and Surgical Innovation, Children’s National Heart Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Rengasayee Veeraraghavan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University – Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Seth Weinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University – Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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4
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Nielsen MS, van Opbergen CJM, van Veen TAB, Delmar M. The intercalated disc: a unique organelle for electromechanical synchrony in cardiomyocytes. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:2271-2319. [PMID: 36731030 PMCID: PMC10191137 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00021.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The intercalated disc (ID) is a highly specialized structure that connects cardiomyocytes via mechanical and electrical junctions. Although described in some detail by light microscopy in the 19th century, it was in 1966 that electron microscopy images showed that the ID represented apposing cell borders and provided detailed insight into the complex ID nanostructure. Since then, much has been learned about the ID and its molecular composition, and it has become evident that a large number of proteins, not all of them involved in direct cell-to-cell coupling via mechanical or gap junctions, reside at the ID. Furthermore, an increasing number of functional interactions between ID components are emerging, leading to the concept that the ID is not the sum of isolated molecular silos but an interacting molecular complex, an "organelle" where components work in concert to bring about electrical and mechanical synchrony. The aim of the present review is to give a short historical account of the ID's discovery and an updated overview of its composition and organization, followed by a discussion of the physiological implications of the ID architecture and the local intermolecular interactions. The latter will focus on both the importance of normal conduction of cardiac action potentials as well as the impact on the pathophysiology of arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten S Nielsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chantal J M van Opbergen
- The Leon Charney Division of Cardiology, New York University Grossmann School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
| | - Toon A B van Veen
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mario Delmar
- The Leon Charney Division of Cardiology, New York University Grossmann School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States
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5
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Electrically conductive scaffolds mimicking the hierarchical structure of cardiac myofibers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2863. [PMID: 36804588 PMCID: PMC9938142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29780-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrically conductive scaffolds, mimicking the unique directional alignment of muscle fibers in the myocardium, are fabricated using the 3D printing micro-stereolithography technique. Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (photo-sensitive polymer), Irgacure 819 (photo-initiator), curcumin (dye) and polyaniline (conductive polymer) are blended to make the conductive ink that is crosslinked using free radical photo-polymerization reaction. Curcumin acts as a liquid filter and prevents light from penetrating deep into the photo-sensitive solution and plays a central role in the 3D printing process. The obtained scaffolds demonstrate well defined morphology with an average pore size of 300 ± 15 μm and semi-conducting properties with a conductivity of ~ 10-6 S/m. Cyclic voltammetry analyses detect the electroactivity and highlight how the electron transfer also involve an ionic diffusion between the polymer and the electrolyte solution. Scaffolds reach their maximum swelling extent 30 min after immersing in the PBS at 37 °C and after 4 weeks they demonstrate a slow hydrolytic degradation rate typical of polyethylene glycol network. Conductive scaffolds display tunable conductivity and provide an optimal environment to the cultured mouse cardiac progenitor cells.
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6
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Ji S, Tu W, Huang C, Chen Z, Ren X, He B, Ding X, Chen Y, Xie X. The Aurora Kinase Inhibitor CYC116 Promotes the Maturation of Cardiomyocytes Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Mol Cells 2022; 45:923-934. [PMID: 36572561 PMCID: PMC9794550 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) have great potential in applications such as regenerative medicine, cardiac disease modeling, and in vitro drug evaluation. However, hPSC-CMs are immature, which limits their applications. During development, the maturation of CMs is accompanied by a decline in their proliferative capacity. This phenomenon suggests that regulating the cell cycle may facilitate the maturation of hPSC-CMs. Aurora kinases are essential kinases that regulate the cell cycle, the role of which is not well studied in hPSC-CM maturation. Here, we demonstrate that CYC116, an inhibitor of Aurora kinases, significantly promotes the maturation of CMs derived from both human embryonic stem cells (H1 and H9) and iPSCs (induced PSCs) (UC013), resulting in increased expression of genes related to cardiomyocyte function, better organization of the sarcomere, increased sarcomere length, increased number of mitochondria, and enhanced physiological function of the cells. In addition, a number of other Aurora kinase inhibitors have also been found to promote the maturation of hPSC-CMs. Our data suggest that blocking aurora kinase activity and regulating cell cycle progression may promote the maturation of hPSC-CMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Ji
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wanzhi Tu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chenwen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ziyang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinyue Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bingqing He
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ding
- Stem Cell Bank/Stem Cell Core Facility, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yuelei Chen
- Stem Cell Bank/Stem Cell Core Facility, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xin Xie
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
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7
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Strimaityte D, Tu C, Yanez A, Itzhaki I, Wu H, Wu JC, Yang H. Contractility and Calcium Transient Maturation in the Human iPSC-Derived Cardiac Microfibers. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:35376-35388. [PMID: 35901275 PMCID: PMC9780031 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c07326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are considered immature in the sarcomere organization, contractile machinery, calcium transient, and transcriptome profile, which prevent them from further applications in modeling and studying cardiac development and disease. To improve the maturity of hiPSC-CMs, here, we engineered the hiPSC-CMs into cardiac microfibers (iCMFs) by a stencil-based micropatterning method, which enables the hiPSC-CMs to be aligned in an end-to-end connection for prolonged culture on the hydrogel of physiological stiffness. A series of characterization approaches were performed to evaluate the maturation in iCMFs on both structural and functional levels, including immunohistochemistry, calcium transient, reverse-transcription quantitative PCR, cardiac contractility, and electrical pacing analysis. Our results demonstrate an improved cardiac maturation of hiPSC-CMs in iCMFs compared to micropatterned or random single hiPSC-CMs and hiPSC-CMs in a random cluster at the same cell number of iCMFs. We found an increased sarcomere length, better regularity and alignment of sarcomeres, enhanced contractility, matured calcium transient, and T-tubule formation and improved adherens junction and gap junction formation. The hiPSC-CMs in iCMFs showed a robust calcium cycling in response to the programmed and continuous electrical pacing from 0.5 to 7 Hz. Moreover, we generated the iCMFs with hiPSC-CMs with mutations in myosin-binding protein C (MYBPC3) to have a proof-of-concept of iCMFs in modeling cardiac hypertrophic phenotype. These findings suggest that the multipatterned iCMF connection of hiPSC-CMs boosts the cardiac maturation structurally and functionally, which will reveal the full potential of the application of hiPSC-CM models in disease modeling of cardiomyopathy and cardiac regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dovile Strimaityte
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207, USA
| | - Chengyi Tu
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Apuleyo Yanez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207, USA
| | - Ilanit Itzhaki
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Haodi Wu
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Joseph C. Wu
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Huaxiao Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207, USA
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8
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King DR, Hardin KM, Hoeker GS, Poelzing S. Re-evaluating methods reporting practices to improve reproducibility: an analysis of methodological rigor for the Langendorff whole-heart technique. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2022; 323:H363-H377. [PMID: 35749719 PMCID: PMC9359653 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00164.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, the scientific community has seen an increased interest in rigor and reproducibility. In 2017, concerns of methodological thoroughness and reporting practices were implicated as significant barriers to reproducibility within the preclinical cardiovascular literature, particularly in studies employing animal research. The Langendorff, whole-heart technique has proven to be an invaluable research tool, being modified in a myriad of ways to probe questions across the spectrum of physio- and pathophysiologic function of the heart. As a result, significant variability in the application of the Langendorff technique exists. This literature review quantifies the different methods employed in the implementation of the Langendorff technique and provides brief examples of how individual parametric differences can impact the outcomes and interpretation of studies. From 2017-2020, significant variability of animal models, anesthesia, cannulation time, and perfusate composition, pH, and temperature demonstrate that the technique has diversified to meet new challenges and answer different scientific questions. The review also reveals which individual methods are most frequently reported, even if there is no explicit agreement upon which parameters should be reported. The analysis of methods related to the Langendorff technique suggests a framework for considering methodological approach when interpreting seemingly contradictory results, rather than concluding that results are irreproducible.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ryan King
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, Virginia.,Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lunch Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Columbus, Ohio
| | - Kathryn M Hardin
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Roanoke, Virginia.,Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research. Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Gregory S Hoeker
- Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research. Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Steven Poelzing
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Roanoke, Virginia.,Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research. Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. Roanoke, Virginia.,Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blacksburg, Virginia
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9
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Nowak MB, Veeraraghavan R, Poelzing S, Weinberg SH. Cellular Size, Gap Junctions, and Sodium Channel Properties Govern Developmental Changes in Cardiac Conduction. Front Physiol 2021; 12:731025. [PMID: 34759834 PMCID: PMC8573326 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.731025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrical conduction in cardiac ventricular tissue is regulated via sodium (Na+) channels and gap junctions (GJs). We and others have recently shown that Na+channels preferentially localize at the site of cell-cell junctions, the intercalated disc (ID), in adult cardiac tissue, facilitating coupling via the formation of intercellular Na+nanodomains, also termed ephaptic coupling (EpC). Several properties governing EpC vary with age, including Na+channel and GJ expression and distribution and cell size. Prior work has shown that neonatal cardiomyocytes have immature IDs with Na+channels and GJs diffusively distributed throughout the sarcolemma, while adult cells have mature IDs with preferentially localized Na+channels and GJs. In this study, we perform an in silico investigation of key age-dependent properties to determine developmental regulation of cardiac conduction. Simulations predict that conduction velocity (CV) biphasically depends on cell size, depending on the strength of GJ coupling. Total cell Na+channel conductance is predictive of CV in cardiac tissue with high GJ coupling, but not correlated with CV for low GJ coupling. We find that ephaptic effects are greatest for larger cells with low GJ coupling typically associated with intermediate developmental stages. Finally, simulations illustrate how variability in cellular properties during different developmental stages can result in a range of possible CV values, with a narrow range for both neonatal and adult myocardium but a much wider range for an intermediate developmental stage. Thus, we find that developmental changes predict associated changes in cardiac conduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison B Nowak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Rengasayee Veeraraghavan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Steven Poelzing
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States.,Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Seth H Weinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Columbus, OH, United States
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10
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Unal YC, Yavuz B, Ozcivici E, Mese G. The role of connexins in breast cancer: from misregulated cell communication to aberrant intracellular signaling. Tissue Barriers 2021; 10:1962698. [PMID: 34355641 DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2021.1962698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of clinical advancements and improved diagnostic techniques, breast cancers are the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in women worldwide. Although 70% of early breast cancers can be cured, there are no efficient therapies against metastatic breast cancers. Several factors including connexins and gap junctions play roles in breast tumorigenesis. Connexins are critical for cellular processes as a linkage between connexin mutations and hereditary disorders demonstrated their importance for tissue homeostasis. Further, alterations in their expression, localization and channel activities were observed in many cancers including breast cancer. Both channel-dependent and independent functions of connexins were reported in initiation and progression of cancers. Unlike initial reports suggesting tumor suppressor functions, connexins and gap junctions have stage, context and isoform dependent effects in breast cancers similar to other cancers. In this review, we tried to describe the current understanding of connexins in tumorigenesis specifically in breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagmur Ceren Unal
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Busra Yavuz
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Engin Ozcivici
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gulistan Mese
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir, Turkey
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11
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Delgado C, Bu L, Zhang J, Liu FY, Sall J, Liang FX, Furley AJ, Fishman GI. Neural cell adhesion molecule is required for ventricular conduction system development. Development 2021; 148:269045. [PMID: 34100064 PMCID: PMC8217711 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The most distal portion of the ventricular conduction system (VCS) contains cardiac Purkinje cells (PCs), which are essential for synchronous activation of the ventricular myocardium. Contactin-2 (CNTN2), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules (IgSF-CAMs), was previously identified as a marker of the VCS. Through differential transcriptional profiling, we discovered two additional highly enriched IgSF-CAMs in the VCS: NCAM-1 and ALCAM. Immunofluorescence staining showed dynamic expression patterns for each IgSF-CAM during embryonic and early postnatal stages, but ultimately all three proteins became highly enriched in mature PCs. Mice deficient in NCAM-1, but not CNTN2 or ALCAM, exhibited defects in PC gene expression and VCS patterning, as well as cardiac conduction disease. Moreover, using ST8sia2 and ST8sia4 knockout mice, we show that inhibition of post-translational modification of NCAM-1 by polysialic acid leads to disrupted trafficking of sarcolemmal intercalated disc proteins to junctional membranes and abnormal expansion of the extracellular space between apposing PCs. Taken together, our data provide insights into the complex developmental biology of the ventricular conduction system. Summary: The cell adhesion molecule NCAM-1 and its post-translational modification by polysialylation are required for normal formation and function of the specialized ventricular conduction system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Delgado
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lei Bu
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA
| | - Fang-Yu Liu
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA
| | - Joseph Sall
- Microscopy Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, NYU Langone Health, NY 10016, USA
| | - Feng-Xia Liang
- Microscopy Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, NYU Langone Health, NY 10016, USA
| | - Andrew J Furley
- Department of Biomedical Science, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Glenn I Fishman
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA
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12
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Liu T, Zhang S, Huang C, Ma S, Bai R, Li Y, Chang Y, Hang C, Saleem A, Dong T, Guo T, Jiang Y, Lu W, Zhang L, Jianwen L, Jiang H, Lan F. Microscale grooves regulate maturation development of hPSC-CMs by the transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels). J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:3469-3483. [PMID: 33689230 PMCID: PMC8034460 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of human pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC‐CMs) is limited in drug discovery and cardiac disease mechanism studies due to cell immaturity. Micro‐scaled grooves can promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes by aligning them in order, but the mechanism of cardiomyocytes alignment has not been studied. From the level of calcium activity, gene expression and cell morphology, we verified that the W20H5 grooves can effectively promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes. The transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels) also play an important role in the maturation and development of cardiomyocytes. These findings support the engineered hPSC‐CMs as a powerful model to study cardiac disease mechanism and partly mimic the myocardial morphological development. The important role of the TRP channels in the maturation and development of myocardium is first revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoyan Liu
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Siyao Zhang
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenwu Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuhong Ma
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Bai
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Chang
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenwen Hang
- Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Amina Saleem
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Dong
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianwei Guo
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Youxu Jiang
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjing Lu
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lina Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Luo Jianwen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongfeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Lan
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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13
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Querdel E, Reinsch M, Castro L, Köse D, Bähr A, Reich S, Geertz B, Ulmer B, Schulze M, Lemoine MD, Krause T, Lemme M, Sani J, Shibamiya A, Stüdemann T, Köhne M, Bibra CV, Hornaschewitz N, Pecha S, Nejahsie Y, Mannhardt I, Christ T, Reichenspurner H, Hansen A, Klymiuk N, Krane M, Kupatt C, Eschenhagen T, Weinberger F. Human Engineered Heart Tissue Patches Remuscularize the Injured Heart in a Dose-Dependent Manner. Circulation 2021; 143:1991-2006. [PMID: 33648345 PMCID: PMC8126500 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.120.047904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Human engineered heart tissue (EHT) transplantation represents a potential regenerative strategy for patients with heart failure and has been successful in preclinical models. Clinical application requires upscaling, adaptation to good manufacturing practices, and determination of the effective dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Querdel
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Marina Reinsch
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Liesa Castro
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center (L.C., S.P., H.R.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.).,Now with Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Germany (L.C.)
| | - Deniz Köse
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Andrea Bähr
- I. Medizinische Klinik & Poliklinik, University Clinic Rechts der Isar (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.), Technical University Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Munich Heart Alliance Munich (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.).,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany (A.B., N.K.)
| | - Svenja Reich
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Geertz
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Bärbel Ulmer
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Mirja Schulze
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Marc D Lemoine
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.).,Department of Cardiology-Electrophysiology (M.D.L.), University Heart Center, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Krause
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Marta Lemme
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Jascha Sani
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Aya Shibamiya
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Tim Stüdemann
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Maria Köhne
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.).,Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery (M. Köhne), University Heart Center, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Constantin von Bibra
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Nadja Hornaschewitz
- I. Medizinische Klinik & Poliklinik, University Clinic Rechts der Isar (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.), Technical University Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Munich Heart Alliance Munich (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.)
| | - Simon Pecha
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center (L.C., S.P., H.R.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Yusuf Nejahsie
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Ingra Mannhardt
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Torsten Christ
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Hermann Reichenspurner
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center (L.C., S.P., H.R.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Arne Hansen
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Nikolai Klymiuk
- I. Medizinische Klinik & Poliklinik, University Clinic Rechts der Isar (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.), Technical University Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Munich Heart Alliance Munich (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.).,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany (A.B., N.K.)
| | - M Krane
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Centre Munich (M. Krane), Technical University Munich, Germany.,INSURE (Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery), Cardiovascular Surgery, Munich, Germany (M. Krane)
| | - C Kupatt
- I. Medizinische Klinik & Poliklinik, University Clinic Rechts der Isar (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.), Technical University Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Munich Heart Alliance Munich (A.B., N.H., N.K., C.K.)
| | - Thomas Eschenhagen
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
| | - Florian Weinberger
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (E.Q., M.R., D.K., S.R., B.G., B.U., M.S., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., C.v.B., Y.N., I.M., T.C., A.H., T.E., F.W.), University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck (E.Q., M.R., L.C., D.K., B.U., M.S., M.D.L., T.K., M.L., J.S., A.S., T.S., M. Köhne, C.v.B., S.P., I.M., T.C., H.R., A.H., T.E., F.W.)
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Olejnickova V, Kocka M, Kvasilova A, Kolesova H, Dziacky A, Gidor T, Gidor L, Sankova B, Gregorovicova M, Gourdie RG, Sedmera D. Gap Junctional Communication via Connexin43 between Purkinje Fibers and Working Myocytes Explains the Epicardial Activation Pattern in the Postnatal Mouse Left Ventricle. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2475. [PMID: 33804428 PMCID: PMC7957598 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian ventricular myocardium forms a functional syncytium due to flow of electrical current mediated in part by gap junctions localized within intercalated disks. The connexin (Cx) subunit of gap junctions have direct and indirect roles in conduction of electrical impulse from the cardiac pacemaker via the cardiac conduction system (CCS) to working myocytes. Cx43 is the dominant isoform in these channels. We have studied the distribution of Cx43 junctions between the CCS and working myocytes in a transgenic mouse model, which had the His-Purkinje portion of the CCS labeled with green fluorescence protein. The highest number of such connections was found in a region about one-third of ventricular length above the apex, and it correlated with the peak proportion of Purkinje fibers (PFs) to the ventricular myocardium. At this location, on the septal surface of the left ventricle, the insulated left bundle branch split into the uninsulated network of PFs that continued to the free wall anteriorly and posteriorly. The second peak of PF abundance was present in the ventricular apex. Epicardial activation maps correspondingly placed the site of the first activation in the apical region, while some hearts presented more highly located breakthrough sites. Taken together, these results increase our understanding of the physiological pattern of ventricular activation and its morphological underpinning through detailed CCS anatomy and distribution of its gap junctional coupling to the working myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Olejnickova
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
- Institute of Physiology, CAS, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Kocka
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Alena Kvasilova
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Hana Kolesova
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
- Institute of Physiology, CAS, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Dziacky
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Motol University Hospital, 150 06 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tom Gidor
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Lihi Gidor
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Barbora Sankova
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Martina Gregorovicova
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
- Institute of Physiology, CAS, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert G. Gourdie
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA;
| | - David Sedmera
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (V.O.); (M.K.); (A.K.); (H.K.); (A.D.); (T.G.); (L.G.); (B.S.); (M.G.)
- Institute of Physiology, CAS, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
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15
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Aujla PK, Kassiri Z. Diverse origins and activation of fibroblasts in cardiac fibrosis. Cell Signal 2020; 78:109869. [PMID: 33278559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts (cFBs) have emerged as a heterogenous cell population. Fibroblasts are considered the main cell source for synthesis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and as such a dysregulation in cFB function, activity, or viability can lead to disrupted ECM structure or fibrosis. Fibrosis can be initiated in response to different injuries and stimuli, and can be reparative (beneficial) or reactive (damaging). FBs need to be activated to myofibroblasts (MyoFBs) which have augmented capacity in synthesizing ECM proteins, causing fibrosis. In addition to the resident FBs in the myocardium, a number of other cells (pericytes, fibrocytes, mesenchymal, and hematopoietic cells) can transform into MyoFBs, further driving the fibrotic response. Multiple molecules including hormones, cytokines, and growth factors stimulate this process leading to generation of activated MyoFBs. Contribution of different cell types to cFBs and MyoFBs can result in an exponential increase in the number of MyoFBs and an accelerated pro-fibrotic response. Given the diversity of the cell sources, and the array of interconnected signalling pathways that lead to formation of MyoFBs and subsequently fibrosis, identifying a single target to limit the fibrotic response in the myocardium has been challenging. This review article will delineate the importance and relevance of fibroblast heterogeneity in mediating fibrosis in different models of heart failure and will highlight important signalling pathways implicated in myofibroblast activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preetinder K Aujla
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Zamaneh Kassiri
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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16
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Cardiac regeneration as an environmental adaptation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118623. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.118623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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17
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Ali H, Braga L, Giacca M. Cardiac regeneration and remodelling of the cardiomyocyte cytoarchitecture. FEBS J 2020; 287:417-438. [PMID: 31743572 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adult mammals are unable to regenerate their hearts after cardiac injury, largely due to the incapacity of cardiomyocytes (CMs) to undergo cell division. However, mammalian embryonic and fetal CMs, similar to CMs from fish and amphibians during their entire life, exhibit robust replicative activity, which stops abruptly after birth and never significantly resumes. Converging evidence indicates that formation of the highly ordered and stable cytoarchitecture of mammalian mature CMs is coupled with loss of their proliferative potential. Here, we review the available information on the role of the cardiac cytoskeleton and sarcomere in the regulation of CM proliferation. The actin cytoskeleton, the intercalated disc, the microtubular network and the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex each sense mechanical cues from the surrounding environment. Furthermore, they participate in the regulation of CM proliferation by impinging on the yes-associated protein/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif, β-catenin and myocardin-related transcription factor transcriptional co-activators. Mastering the molecular mechanisms regulating CM proliferation would permit the development of innovative strategies to stimulate cardiac regeneration in adult individuals, a hitherto unachieved yet fundamental therapeutic goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashim Ali
- British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, King's College London, UK.,Molecular Medicine Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Luca Braga
- British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, King's College London, UK.,Molecular Medicine Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Mauro Giacca
- British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, King's College London, UK.,Molecular Medicine Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy.,Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy
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18
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Zhao Y, Rafatian N, Wang EY, Wu Q, Lai BFL, Lu RX, Savoji H, Radisic M. Towards chamber specific heart-on-a-chip for drug testing applications. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2020; 165-166:60-76. [PMID: 31917972 PMCID: PMC7338250 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modeling of human organs has long been a task for scientists in order to lower the costs of therapeutic development and understand the pathological onset of human disease. For decades, despite marked differences in genetics and etiology, animal models remained the norm for drug discovery and disease modeling. Innovative biofabrication techniques have facilitated the development of organ-on-a-chip technology that has great potential to complement conventional animal models. However, human organ as a whole, more specifically the human heart, is difficult to regenerate in vitro, in terms of its chamber specific orientation and its electrical functional complexity. Recent progress with the development of induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation protocols, made recapitulating the complexity of the human heart possible through the generation of cells representative of atrial & ventricular tissue, the sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node and Purkinje fibers. Current heart-on-a-chip approaches incorporate biological, electrical, mechanical, and topographical cues to facilitate tissue maturation, therefore improving the predictive power for the chamber-specific therapeutic effects targeting adult human. In this review, we will give a summary of current advances in heart-on-a-chip technology and provide a comprehensive outlook on the challenges involved in the development of human physiologically relevant heart-on-a-chip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimu Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Naimeh Rafatian
- Division of Cardiology and Peter Munk Cardiac Center, University of Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2N2, Canada
| | - Erika Yan Wang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Qinghua Wu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Benjamin F L Lai
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Rick Xingze Lu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Houman Savoji
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada; Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada.
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19
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Swift LM, Burke M, Guerrelli D, Reilly M, Ramadan M, McCullough D, Prudencio T, Mulvany C, Chaluvadi A, Jaimes R, Posnack NG. Age-dependent changes in electrophysiology and calcium handling: implications for pediatric cardiac research. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2019; 318:H354-H365. [PMID: 31886723 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00521.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Rodent models are frequently employed in cardiovascular research, yet our understanding of pediatric cardiac physiology has largely been deduced from more simplified two-dimensional cell studies. Previous studies have shown that postnatal development includes an alteration in the expression of genes and proteins involved in cell coupling, ion channels, and intracellular calcium handling. Accordingly, we hypothesized that postnatal cell maturation is likely to lead to dynamic alterations in whole heart electrophysiology and calcium handling. To test this hypothesis, we employed multiparametric imaging and electrophysiological techniques to quantify developmental changes from neonate to adult. In vivo electrocardiograms were collected to assess changes in heart rate, variability, and atrioventricular conduction (Sprague-Dawley rats). Intact, whole hearts were transferred to a Langendorff-perfusion system for multiparametric imaging (voltage, calcium). Optical mapping was performed in conjunction with an electrophysiology study to assess cardiac dynamics throughout development. Postnatal age was associated with an increase in the heart rate (181 ± 34 vs. 429 ± 13 beats/min), faster atrioventricular conduction (94 ± 13 vs. 46 ± 3 ms), shortened action potentials (APD80: 113 ± 18 vs. 60 ± 17 ms), and decreased ventricular refractoriness (VERP: 157 ± 45 vs. 57 ± 14 ms; neonatal vs. adults, means ± SD, P < 0.05). Calcium handling matured with development, resulting in shortened calcium transient durations (168 ± 18 vs. 117 ± 14 ms) and decreased propensity for calcium transient alternans (160 ± 18- vs. 99 ± 11-ms cycle length threshold; neonatal vs. adults, mean ± SD, P < 0.05). Results of this study can serve as a comprehensive baseline for future studies focused on pediatric disease modeling and/or preclinical testing.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to assess cardiac electrophysiology and calcium handling throughout postnatal development, using both in vivo and whole heart models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luther M Swift
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Morgan Burke
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Devon Guerrelli
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Marissa Reilly
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Manelle Ramadan
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Damon McCullough
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Tomas Prudencio
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Colm Mulvany
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Ashika Chaluvadi
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Rafael Jaimes
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Nikki Gillum Posnack
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Pediatrics and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
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20
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Wang X, Zou Y, Li Y, Chen Z, Yin C, Wang Y, Zhang L, Wu J, Yang C, Zhang G, Zou Y, Gong H. Lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 is required to maintain intercalated disk integrity. Genes Cells 2019; 24:789-800. [PMID: 31609038 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The intercalated disk (ID), a highly organized adhesion structure connecting neighboring cardiomyocytes, fulfills mechanical and electrical signaling communication to ensure normal heart function. Lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) is a co-receptor inducing canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling. It was recently reported that LRP6 deficiency in cardiomyocytes predisposes to arrhythmia independent of Wnt signaling. However, whether LRP6 directly regulates the structure of IDs requires further investigation. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of LRP6 in IDs and the potential underlying mechanisms by inducible cardiac-specific LRP6 knockout mice. The results revealed that LRP6 was predominately expressed in the cell membrane, including the IDs of cardiomyocytes. Tamoxifen-inducible cardiac-specific LRP6 knockout mice displayed overt cardiac dysfunction and disruption of ID structure. Further analysis revealed that cardiac LRP6 deficiency induced the imbalance of ID component proteins, characterized by the sharply decreased expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) and the significantly increased expression of N-cadherin, desmoplakin and γ-catenin in tissue lysates or membrane fraction from the left ventricle. STRING database analysis indicated that β-catenin, but no other ID-associated proteins, interacted with LRP6. Our immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that LRP6 strongly interacted with Cx43, N-cadherin and γ-catenin, and weakly interacted with β-catenin, whereas there was no association with desmoplakin. In response to LRP6 deficiency, the recruitment of β- or γ-catenin to N-cadherin was increased, but they displayed little interaction with Cx43. In conclusion, LRP6 is required to maintain the integrity of ID structure and the balance of ID proteins, and the interaction between LRP6 and Cx43, N-cadherin and γ-catenin may be involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zou
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Li
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhidan Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Yin
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunjie Yang
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoping Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunzeng Zou
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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21
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Nader M. The SLMAP/Striatin complex: An emerging regulator of normal and abnormal cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 858:172491. [PMID: 31233748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The excitation-contraction (E-C) module involves a harmonized correspondence between the sarcolemma and the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This is provided by membrane proteins, which primarily shape the caveolae, the T-tubule/Sarcoplasmic reticulum (TT/SR) junction, and the intercalated discs (ICDs). Distortion of either one of these structures impairs myocardial contraction, and subsequently translates into cardiac failure. Thus, detailed studies on the molecular cues of the E-C module are becoming increasingly necessary to pharmacologically eradicate cardiac failure Herein we reviewed the organization of caveolae, TT/SR junctions, and the ICDs in the heart, with special attention to the Sarcolemma Membrane Associated Protein (SLMAP) and striatin (STRN) in cardiac membranes biology and cardiomyocyte contraction. We emphasized on their in vivo and in vitro signaling in cardiac function/dysfunction. SLMAP is a cardiac membrane protein that plays an important role in E-C coupling and the adrenergic response of the heart. Similarly, STRN is a dynamic protein that is also involved in cardiac E-C coupling and ICD-related cardiomyopathies. Both SLMAP and STRN are linked to cardiac conditions, including heart failure, and their role in cardiomyocyte function was elucidated in our laboratory. They interact together in a protein complex that holds therapeutic potentials for cardiac dysfunction. This review is the first of its kind to conceptualize the role of the SLMAP/STRN complex in cardiac function and failure. It provides in depth information on the signaling of these two proteins and projects their interaction as a novel therapeutic target for cardiac failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moni Nader
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, 11533, P.O. Box 50927, Saudi Arabia; Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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22
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Abstract
The Hippo-YAP (Yes-associated protein) pathway is an evolutionarily and functionally conserved regulator of organ size and growth with crucial roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. This pathway has great potential for therapeutic manipulation in different disease states and to promote organ regeneration. In this Review, we summarize findings from the past decade revealing the function and regulation of the Hippo-YAP pathway in cardiac development, growth, homeostasis, disease, and regeneration. In particular, we highlight the roles of the Hippo-YAP pathway in endogenous heart muscle renewal, including the pivotal role of the Hippo-YAP pathway in regulating cardiomyocyte proliferation and differentiation, stress response, and mechanical signalling. The human heart lacks the capacity to self-repair; therefore, the loss of cardiomyocytes after injury such as myocardial infarction can result in heart failure and death. Despite substantial advances in the treatment of heart failure, an enormous unmet clinical need exists for alternative treatment options. Targeting the Hippo-YAP pathway has tremendous potential for developing therapeutic strategies for cardiac repair and regeneration for currently intractable cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. The lessons learned from cardiac repair and regeneration studies will also bring new insights into the regeneration of other tissues with limited regenerative capacity.
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23
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Sanematsu F, Kanai A, Ushijima T, Shiraishi A, Abe T, Kage Y, Sumimoto H, Takeya R. Fhod1, an actin-organizing formin family protein, is dispensable for cardiac development and function in mice. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2019; 76:219-229. [PMID: 31008549 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The formin family proteins have the ability to regulate actin filament assembly, thereby functioning in diverse cytoskeletal processes. Fhod3, a cardiac member of the family, plays a crucial role in development and functional maintenance of the heart. Although Fhod1, a protein closely-related to Fhod3, has been reported to be expressed in cardiomyocytes, the role of Fhod1 in the heart has still remained elusive. To know the physiological role of Fhod1 in the heart, we disrupted the Fhod1 gene in mice by replacement of exon 1 with a lacZ reporter gene. Histological lacZ staining unexpectedly revealed no detectable expression of Fhod1 in the heart, in contrast to intensive staining in the lung, a Fhod1-containing organ. Consistent with this, expression level of the Fhod1 protein in the heart was below the lower limit of detection of the present immunoblot analysis with three independent anti-Fhod1 antibodies. Homozygous Fhod1-null mice did not show any defects in gross and histological appearance of the heart or upregulate fetal cardiac genes that are induced under stress conditions. Furthermore, Fhod1 ablation did not elicit compensatory increase in expression of other formins. Thus, Fhod1 appears to be dispensable for normal development and function of the mouse heart, even if a marginal amount of Fhod1 is expressed in the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiyuki Sanematsu
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Ami Kanai
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Tomoki Ushijima
- Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Aki Shiraishi
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resource Development, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yohko Kage
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Hideki Sumimoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ryu Takeya
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
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24
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Hausner EA, Elmore SA, Yang X. Overview of the Components of Cardiac Metabolism. Drug Metab Dispos 2019; 47:673-688. [PMID: 30967471 PMCID: PMC7333657 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.119.086611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism in organs other than the liver and kidneys may play a significant role in how a specific organ responds to chemicals. The heart has metabolic capability for energy production and homeostasis. This homeostatic machinery can also process xenobiotics. Cardiac metabolism includes the expression of numerous organic anion transporters, organic cation transporters, organic carnitine (zwitterion) transporters, and ATP-binding cassette transporters. Expression and distribution of the transporters within the heart may vary, depending on the patient’s age, disease, endocrine status, and various other factors. Several cytochrome P450 (P450) enzyme classes have been identified within the heart. The P450 hydroxylases and epoxygenases within the heart produce hydroxyeicosatetraneoic acids and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, metabolites of arachidonic acid, which are critical in regulating homeostatic processes of the heart. The susceptibility of the cardiac P450 system to induction and inhibition from exogenous materials is an area of expanding knowledge, as are the metabolic processes of glucuronidation and sulfation in the heart. The susceptibility of various transcription factors and signaling pathways of the heart to disruption by xenobiotics is not fully characterized but is an area with implications for disruption of normal postnatal development, as well as modulation of adult cardiac health. There are knowledge gaps in the timelines of physiologic maturation and deterioration of cardiac metabolism. Cross-species characterization of cardiac-specific metabolism is needed for nonclinical work of optimum translational value to predict possible adverse effects, identify sensitive developmental windows for the design and conduct of informative nonclinical and clinical studies, and explore the possibilities of organ-specific therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hausner
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland (E.A.H., X.Y.); and National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (S.A.E.)
| | - Susan A Elmore
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland (E.A.H., X.Y.); and National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (S.A.E.)
| | - Xi Yang
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland (E.A.H., X.Y.); and National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (S.A.E.)
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Li Y, Merkel CD, Zeng X, Heier JA, Cantrell PS, Sun M, Stolz DB, Watkins SC, Yates NA, Kwiatkowski AV. The N-cadherin interactome in primary cardiomyocytes as defined using quantitative proximity proteomics. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.221606. [PMID: 30630894 PMCID: PMC6382013 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.221606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The junctional complexes that couple cardiomyocytes must transmit the mechanical forces of contraction while maintaining adhesive homeostasis. The adherens junction (AJ) connects the actomyosin networks of neighboring cardiomyocytes and is required for proper heart function. Yet little is known about the molecular composition of the cardiomyocyte AJ or how it is organized to function under mechanical load. Here, we define the architecture, dynamics and proteome of the cardiomyocyte AJ. Mouse neonatal cardiomyocytes assemble stable AJs along intercellular contacts with organizational and structural hallmarks similar to mature contacts. We combine quantitative mass spectrometry with proximity labeling to identify the N-cadherin (CDH2) interactome. We define over 350 proteins in this interactome, nearly 200 of which are unique to CDH2 and not part of the E-cadherin (CDH1) interactome. CDH2-specific interactors comprise primarily adaptor and adhesion proteins that promote junction specialization. Our results provide novel insight into the cardiomyocyte AJ and offer a proteomic atlas for defining the molecular complexes that regulate cardiomyocyte intercellular adhesion. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first authors of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Chelsea D Merkel
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Xuemei Zeng
- Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jonathon A Heier
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Pamela S Cantrell
- Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Mai Sun
- Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Donna B Stolz
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Simon C Watkins
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Nathan A Yates
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.,Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.,University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Adam V Kwiatkowski
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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Olejníčková V, Šaňková B, Sedmera D, Janáček J. Trabecular Architecture Determines Impulse Propagation Through the Early Embryonic Mouse Heart. Front Physiol 2019; 9:1876. [PMID: 30670981 PMCID: PMC6331446 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most embryonic ventricular cardiomyocytes are quite uniform, in contrast to the adult heart, where the specialized ventricular conduction system is molecularly and functionally distinct from the working myocardium. We thus hypothesized that the preferential conduction pathway within the embryonic ventricle could be dictated by trabecular geometry. Mouse embryonic hearts of the Nkx2.5:eGFP strain between ED9.5 and ED14.5 were cleared and imaged whole mount by confocal microscopy, and reconstructed in 3D at 3.4 μm isotropic voxel size. The local orientation of the trabeculae, responsible for the anisotropic spreading of the signal, was characterized using spatially homogenized tensors (3 × 3 matrices) calculated from the trabecular skeleton. Activation maps were simulated assuming constant speed of spreading along the trabeculae. The results were compared with experimentally obtained epicardial activation maps generated by optical mapping with a voltage-sensitive dye. Simulated impulse propagation starting from the top of interventricular septum revealed the first epicardial breakthrough at the interventricular grove, similar to experimentally obtained activation maps. Likewise, ectopic activation from the left ventricular base perpendicular to dominant trabecular orientation resulted in isotropic and slower impulse spreading on the ventricular surface in both simulated and experimental conditions. We conclude that in the embryonic pre-septation heart, the geometry of the A-V connections and trabecular network is sufficient to explain impulse propagation and ventricular activation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Olejníčková
- Department of Developmental Cardiology, Institute of Physiology of The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Barbora Šaňková
- Department of Developmental Cardiology, Institute of Physiology of The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - David Sedmera
- Department of Developmental Cardiology, Institute of Physiology of The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Janáček
- Department of Biomathematics, Institute of Physiology of The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
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27
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Vandersickel N, Watanabe M, Tao Q, Fostier J, Zeppenfeld K, Panfilov AV. Dynamical anchoring of distant arrhythmia sources by fibrotic regions via restructuring of the activation pattern. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006637. [PMID: 30571689 PMCID: PMC6319787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Rotors are functional reentry sources identified in clinically relevant cardiac arrhythmias, such as ventricular and atrial fibrillation. Ablation targeting rotor sites has resulted in arrhythmia termination. Recent clinical, experimental and modelling studies demonstrate that rotors are often anchored around fibrotic scars or regions with increased fibrosis. However, the mechanisms leading to abundance of rotors at these locations are not clear. The current study explores the hypothesis whether fibrotic scars just serve as anchoring sites for the rotors or whether there are other active processes which drive the rotors to these fibrotic regions. Rotors were induced at different distances from fibrotic scars of various sizes and degree of fibrosis. Simulations were performed in a 2D model of human ventricular tissue and in a patient-specific model of the left ventricle of a patient with remote myocardial infarction. In both the 2D and the patient-specific model we found that without fibrotic scars, the rotors were stable at the site of their initiation. However, in the presence of a scar, rotors were eventually dynamically anchored from large distances by the fibrotic scar via a process of dynamical reorganization of the excitation pattern. This process coalesces with a change from polymorphic to monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. Rotors are waves of cardiac excitation like a tornado causing cardiac arrhythmia. Recent research shows that they are found in ventricular and atrial fibrillation. Burning (via ablation) the site of a rotor can result in the termination of the arrhythmia. Recent studies showed that rotors are often anchored to regions surrounding scar tissue, where part of the tissue still survived called fibrotic tissue. However, it is unclear why these rotors anchor to these locations. Therefore, in this work, we investigated why rotors are so abundant in fibrotic tissue with the help of computer simulations. We performed simulations in a 2D model of human ventricular tissue and in a patient-specific model of a patient with an infarction. We found that even when rotors are initially at large distances from the fibrotic region, they are attracted by this region, to finally end up at the fibrotic tissue. We called this process dynamical anchoring and explained how the process works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Vandersickel
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Belgium
- * E-mail: (NV); (AVP)
| | - Masaya Watanabe
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Qian Tao
- Department of Radiology, Division of Image Processing, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Fostier
- Department of Information Technology (INTEC), IDLab, Ghent University — imec, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Katja Zeppenfeld
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander V. Panfilov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Belgium
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Medicine, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- * E-mail: (NV); (AVP)
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28
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Ramachandra CJ, Mehta A, Wong P, Ja KMM, Fritsche-Danielson R, Bhat RV, Hausenloy DJ, Kovalik JP, Shim W. Fatty acid metabolism driven mitochondrial bioenergetics promotes advanced developmental phenotypes in human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes. Int J Cardiol 2018; 272:288-297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2018.08.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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The role of the gap junction perinexus in cardiac conduction: Potential as a novel anti-arrhythmic drug target. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 144:41-50. [PMID: 30241906 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease remains the single largest cause of natural death in the United States, with a significant cause of mortality associated with cardiac arrhythmias. Presently, options for treating and preventing myocardial electrical dysfunction, including sudden cardiac death, are limited. Recent studies have indicated that conduction of electrical activation in the heart may have an ephaptic component, wherein intercellular coupling occurs via electrochemical signaling across narrow extracellular clefts between cardiomyocytes. The perinexus is a 100-200 nm-wide stretch of closely apposed membrane directly adjacent to connexin 43 gap junctions. Electron and super-resolution microscopy studies, as well as biochemical analyses, have provided evidence that perinexal nanodomains may be candidate structures for facilitating ephaptic coupling. This work has included characterization of the perinexus as a region of close inter-membrane contact between cardiomyocytes (<30 nm) containing dense clusters of voltage-gated sodium channels. Here, we review what is known about perinexal structure and function and the potential that the perinexus may have novel and pivotal roles in disorders of cardiac conduction. Of particular interest is the prospect that cell adhesion mediated by the cardiac sodium channel β subunit (Scn1b) may be a novel anti-arrhythmic target.
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30
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Jackman C, Li H, Bursac N. Long-term contractile activity and thyroid hormone supplementation produce engineered rat myocardium with adult-like structure and function. Acta Biomater 2018; 78:98-110. [PMID: 30086384 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The field of cardiac tissue engineering has developed rapidly, but structural and functional immaturity of engineered heart tissues hinder their widespread use. Here, we show that a combination of low-rate (0.2 Hz) contractile activity and thyroid hormone (T3) supplementation significantly promote structural and functional maturation of engineered rat cardiac tissues ("cardiobundles"). The progressive maturation of cardiobundles during first 2 weeks of culture resulted in cell cycle exit and loss of spontaneous activity, which in longer culture yielded decreased contractile function. Maintaining a low level of contractile activity by 0.2 Hz pacing between culture weeks 3 and 5, combined with T3 treatment, yielded significant growth of cardiobundle and myocyte cross-sectional areas (by 68% and 32%, respectively), increased nuclei numbers (by 22%), improved twitch force (by 39%), shortened action potential duration (by 32%), polarized N-cadherin distribution, and switch from immature (slow skeletal) to mature (fast) cardiac troponin I isoform expression. Along with advanced functional output (conduction velocity 53.7 ± 0.8 cm/s, specific force 70.1 ± 5.8 mN/mm2), quantitative ultrastructural analyses revealed similar metrics and abundance of sarcomeres, T-tubules, M-bands, and intercalated disks compared to native age-matched (5-week) and adult (3-month) ventricular myocytes. Unlike 0.2 Hz regime, chronic 1 Hz pacing resulted in significant cardiomyocyte loss and formation of necrotic core despite the use of dynamic culture. Overall, our results demonstrate remarkable ultrastructural and functional maturation of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in 3D culture and reveal importance of combined biophysical and hormonal inputs for in vitro engineering of adult-like myocardium. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Compared to human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, neonatal rat ventricular myocytes show advanced maturation state which makes them suitable for in vitro studies of postnatal cardiac development. Still, maturation process from a neonatal to an adult cardiomyocyte has not been recapitulated in rodent cell cultures. Here, we show that low-frequency pacing and thyroid hormone supplementation of 3D engineered neonatal rat cardiac tissues synergistically yield significant increase in cell and tissue volume, robust formation of T-tubules and M-lines, improved sarcomere organization, and faster and more forceful contractions. To the best of our knowledge, 5-week old engineered cardiac tissues described in this study are the first that exhibit both ultrastructural and functional characteristics approaching or matching those of adult ventricular myocardium.
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31
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Liu S, Martin JF. The regulation and function of the Hippo pathway in heart regeneration. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 8:e335. [PMID: 30169913 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Heart failure caused by cardiomyocyte loss and fibrosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. Although current treatments for heart failure such as heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device implantation have obvious value, new approaches are needed. Endogenous adult cardiomyocyte renewal is measurable but inefficient and inadequate in response to extensive acute heart damage. Stimulating self-renewal of endogenous cardiomyocytes holds great promise for heart repair. Uncovering the genetic mechanisms underlying cardiomyocyte renewal is a critical step in developing new approaches to repairing the heart. Recent studies have revealed that the inhibition of the Hippo pathway is sufficient to promote the proliferation of endogenous cardiomyocytes, indicating that the manipulation of the Hippo pathway in the heart may be a promising treatment for heart failure in the future. We summarize recent findings that have shed light on the function of the Hippo pathway in heart regeneration. We also discuss the mechanisms by which Hippo pathway inhibition promotes heart regeneration and how the Hippo pathway responds to different types of injury or stress during the regenerative process. This article is categorized under: Adult Stem Cells, Tissue Renewal, and Regeneration > Regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Liu
- Cardiomyocyte Renewal Laboratory, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas
| | - James F Martin
- Cardiomyocyte Renewal Laboratory, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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32
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Paoletti C, Divieto C, Chiono V. Impact of Biomaterials on Differentiation and Reprogramming Approaches for the Generation of Functional Cardiomyocytes. Cells 2018; 7:E114. [PMID: 30134618 PMCID: PMC6162411 DOI: 10.3390/cells7090114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The irreversible loss of functional cardiomyocytes (CMs) after myocardial infarction (MI) represents one major barrier to heart regeneration and functional recovery. The combination of different cell sources and different biomaterials have been investigated to generate CMs by differentiation or reprogramming approaches although at low efficiency. This critical review article discusses the role of biomaterial platforms integrating biochemical instructive cues as a tool for the effective generation of functional CMs. The report firstly introduces MI and the main cardiac regenerative medicine strategies under investigation. Then, it describes the main stem cell populations and indirect and direct reprogramming approaches for cardiac regenerative medicine. A third section discusses the main techniques for the characterization of stem cell differentiation and fibroblast reprogramming into CMs. Another section describes the main biomaterials investigated for stem cell differentiation and fibroblast reprogramming into CMs. Finally, a critical analysis of the scientific literature is presented for an efficient generation of functional CMs. The authors underline the need for biomimetic, reproducible and scalable biomaterial platforms and their integration with external physical stimuli in controlled culture microenvironments for the generation of functional CMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Paoletti
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy.
| | - Carla Divieto
- Division of Metrology for Quality of Life, Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Turin, Italy.
| | - Valeria Chiono
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy.
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33
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Dunn KK, Palecek SP. Engineering Scalable Manufacturing of High-Quality Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes for Cardiac Tissue Repair. Front Med (Lausanne) 2018; 5:110. [PMID: 29740580 PMCID: PMC5928319 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2018.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the differentiation and production of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) have stimulated development of strategies to use these cells in human cardiac regenerative therapies. A prerequisite for clinical trials and translational implementation of hPSC-derived CMs is the ability to manufacture safe and potent cells on the scale needed to replace cells lost during heart disease. Current differentiation protocols generate fetal-like CMs that exhibit proarrhythmogenic potential. Sufficient maturation of these hPSC-derived CMs has yet to be achieved to allow these cells to be used as a regenerative medicine therapy. Insights into the native cardiac environment during heart development may enable engineering of strategies that guide hPSC-derived CMs to mature. Specifically, considerations must be made in regard to developing methods to incorporate the native intercellular interactions and biomechanical cues into hPSC-derived CM production that are conducive to scale-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin K Dunn
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Sean P Palecek
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Madison, WI, United States
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34
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Vite A, Zhang C, Yi R, Emms S, Radice GL. α-Catenin-dependent cytoskeletal tension controls Yap activity in the heart. Development 2018; 145:dev.149823. [PMID: 29467248 PMCID: PMC5868989 DOI: 10.1242/dev.149823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Shortly after birth, muscle cells of the mammalian heart lose their ability to divide. At the same time, the N-cadherin/catenin cell adhesion complex accumulates at the cell termini, creating a specialized type of cell-cell contact called the intercalated disc (ICD). To investigate the relationship between ICD maturation and proliferation, αE-catenin (Ctnna1) and αT-catenin (Ctnna3) genes were deleted to generate cardiac-specific α-catenin double knockout (DKO) mice. DKO mice exhibited aberrant N-cadherin expression, mislocalized actomyosin activity and increased cardiomyocyte proliferation that was dependent on Yap activity. To assess effects on tension, cardiomyocytes were cultured on deformable polyacrylamide hydrogels of varying stiffness. When grown on a stiff substrate, DKO cardiomyocytes exhibited increased cell spreading, nuclear Yap and proliferation. A low dose of either a myosin or RhoA inhibitor was sufficient to block Yap accumulation in the nucleus. Finally, activation of RhoA was sufficient to increase nuclear Yap in wild-type cardiomyocytes. These data demonstrate that α-catenins regulate ICD maturation and actomyosin contractility, which, in turn, control Yap subcellular localization, thus providing an explanation for the loss of proliferative capacity in the newborn mammalian heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Vite
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Caimei Zhang
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Roslyn Yi
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Sabrina Emms
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Glenn L Radice
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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35
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Microtubule-Actin Crosslinking Factor 1 and Plakins as Therapeutic Drug Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19020368. [PMID: 29373494 PMCID: PMC5855590 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plakins are a family of seven cytoskeletal cross-linker proteins (microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF), bullous pemphigoid antigen (BPAG1) desmoplakin, envoplakin, periplakin, plectin, epiplakin) that network the three major filaments that comprise the cytoskeleton. Plakins have been found to be involved in disorders and diseases of the skin, heart, nervous system, and cancer that are attributed to autoimmune responses and genetic alterations of these macromolecules. Despite their role and involvement across a spectrum of several diseases, there are no current drugs or pharmacological agents that specifically target the members of this protein family. On the contrary, microtubules have traditionally been targeted by microtubule inhibiting agents, used for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, in spite of the deleterious toxicities associated with their clinical utility. The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) was used here to identify therapeutic drugs targeting the plakin proteins, particularly the spectraplakins MACF1 and BPAG1, which contain microtubule-binding domains. RCSB analysis revealed that plakin proteins had 329 ligands, of which more than 50% were MACF1 and BPAG1 ligands and 10 were documented, clinically or experimentally, to have several therapeutic applications as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic agents.
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36
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Jackman CP, Ganapathi AM, Asfour H, Qian Y, Allen BW, Li Y, Bursac N. Engineered cardiac tissue patch maintains structural and electrical properties after epicardial implantation. Biomaterials 2018; 159:48-58. [PMID: 29309993 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Functional cardiac tissue engineering holds promise as a candidate therapy for myocardial infarction and heart failure. Generation of "strong-contracting and fast-conducting" cardiac tissue patches capable of electromechanical coupling with host myocardium could allow efficient improvement of heart function without increased arrhythmogenic risks. Towards that goal, we engineered highly functional 1 cm × 1 cm cardiac tissue patches made of neonatal rat ventricular cells which after 2 weeks of culture exhibited force of contraction of 18.0 ± 1.4 mN, conduction velocity (CV) of 32.3 ± 1.8 cm/s, and sustained chronic activation when paced at rates as high as 8.7 ± 0.8 Hz. Patches transduced with genetically-encoded calcium indicator (GCaMP6) were implanted onto adult rat ventricles and after 4-6 weeks assessed for action potential conduction and electrical integration by two-camera optical mapping of GCaMP6-reported Ca2+ transients in the patch and RH237-reported action potentials in the recipient heart. Of the 13 implanted patches, 11 (85%) engrafted, maintained structural integrity, and conducted action potentials with average CVs and Ca2+ transient durations comparable to those before implantation. Despite preserved graft electrical properties, no anterograde or retrograde conduction could be induced between the patch and host cardiomyocytes, indicating lack of electrical integration. Electrical properties of the underlying myocardium were not changed by the engrafted patch. From immunostaining analyses, implanted patches were highly vascularized and expressed abundant electromechanical junctions, but remained separated from the epicardium by a non-myocyte layer. In summary, our studies demonstrate generation of highly functional cardiac tissue patches that can robustly engraft on the epicardial surface, vascularize, and maintain electrical function, but do not couple with host tissue. The lack of graft-host electrical integration is therefore a critical obstacle to development of efficient tissue engineering therapies for heart repair.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asvin M Ganapathi
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of General Surgery, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Huda Asfour
- Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ying Qian
- Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian W Allen
- Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yanzhen Li
- Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nenad Bursac
- Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC, USA.
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37
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Besser RR, Ishahak M, Mayo V, Carbonero D, Claure I, Agarwal A. Engineered Microenvironments for Maturation of Stem Cell Derived Cardiac Myocytes. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:124-140. [PMID: 29290797 PMCID: PMC5743464 DOI: 10.7150/thno.19441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Through the use of stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes, tissue-engineered human myocardial constructs are poised for modeling normal and diseased physiology of the heart, as well as discovery of novel drugs and therapeutic targets in a human relevant manner. This review highlights the recent bioengineering efforts to recapitulate microenvironmental cues to further the maturation state of newly differentiated cardiac myocytes. These techniques include long-term culture, co-culture, exposure to mechanical stimuli, 3D culture, cell-matrix interactions, and electrical stimulation. Each of these methods has produced various degrees of maturation; however, a standardized measure for cardiomyocyte maturation is not yet widely accepted by the scientific community.
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38
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Engraftment and morphological development of vascularized human iPS cell-derived 3D-cardiomyocyte tissue after xenotransplantation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13708. [PMID: 29057926 PMCID: PMC5651879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14053-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the major challenges in cell-based cardiac regenerative medicine is the in vitro construction of three-dimensional (3D) tissues consisting of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (iPSC-CM) and a blood vascular network supplying nutrients and oxygen throughout the tissue after implantation. We have successfully built a vascularized iPSC-CM 3D-tissue using our validated cell manipulation technique. In order to evaluate an availability of the 3D-tissue as a biomaterial, functional morphology of the tissues was examined by light and transmission electron microscopy through their implantation into the rat infarcted heart. Before implantation, the tissues showed distinctive myofibrils within iPSC-CMs and capillary-like endothelial tubes, but their profiles were still like immature. In contrast, engraftment of the tissues to the rat heart led the iPSC-CMs and endothelial tubes into organization of cell organelles and junctional apparatuses and prompt development of capillary network harboring host blood supply, respectively. A number of capillaries in the implanted tissues were derived from host vascular bed, whereas the others were likely to be composed by fusion of host and implanted endothelial cells. Thus, our vascularized iPSC-CM 3D-tissues may be a useful regenerative paradigm which will require additional expanded and long-term studies.
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39
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Moon SH, Bae D, Jung TH, Chung EB, Jeong YH, Park SJ, Chung HM. From Bench to Market: Preparing Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived Cardiomyocytes for Various Applications. Int J Stem Cells 2017; 10:1-11. [PMID: 28531912 PMCID: PMC5488771 DOI: 10.15283/ijsc17024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cardiomyocytes (CMs) cease to proliferate and remain terminally differentiated thereafter, when humans reach the mid-20s. Thus, any damages sustained by myocardium tissue are irreversible, and they require medical interventions to regain functionality. To date, new surgical procedures and drugs have been developed, albeit with limited success, to treat various heart diseases including myocardial infarction. Hence, there is a pressing need to develop more effective treatment methods to address the increasing mortality rate of the heart diseases. Functional CMs are not only an important in vitro cellular tool to model various types of heart diseases for drug development, but they are also a promising therapeutic agent for cell therapy. However, the limited proliferative capacity entails difficulties in acquiring functional CMs in the scale that is required for pathological studies and cell therapy development. Stem cells, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in particular, have been considered as an unlimited cellular source for providing functional CMs for various applications. Notable progress has already been made: the first clinical trials of hPSCs derived CMs (hPSC-CMs) for treating myocardial infarction was approved in 2015, and their potential use in disease modeling and drug discovery is being fully explored. This concise review gives an account of current development of differentiation, purification and maturation techniques for hPSC-CMs, and their application in cell therapy development and pharmaceutical industries will be discussed with the latest experimental evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Hwan Moon
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Taek-Hee Jung
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun-Bin Chung
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Hoon Jeong
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soon-Jung Park
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyung-Min Chung
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
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Scuderi GJ, Butcher J. Naturally Engineered Maturation of Cardiomyocytes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2017; 5:50. [PMID: 28529939 PMCID: PMC5418234 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2017.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic heart disease remains one of the most prominent causes of mortalities worldwide with heart transplantation being the gold-standard treatment option. However, due to the major limitations associated with heart transplants, such as an inadequate supply and heart rejection, there remains a significant clinical need for a viable cardiac regenerative therapy to restore native myocardial function. Over the course of the previous several decades, researchers have made prominent advances in the field of cardiac regeneration with the creation of in vitro human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte tissue engineered constructs. However, these engineered constructs exhibit a functionally immature, disorganized, fetal-like phenotype that is not equivalent physiologically to native adult cardiac tissue. Due to this major limitation, many recent studies have investigated approaches to improve pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte maturation to close this large functionality gap between engineered and native cardiac tissue. This review integrates the natural developmental mechanisms of cardiomyocyte structural and functional maturation. The variety of ways researchers have attempted to improve cardiomyocyte maturation in vitro by mimicking natural development, known as natural engineering, is readily discussed. The main focus of this review involves the synergistic role of electrical and mechanical stimulation, extracellular matrix interactions, and non-cardiomyocyte interactions in facilitating cardiomyocyte maturation. Overall, even with these current natural engineering approaches, pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes within three-dimensional engineered heart tissue still remain mostly within the early to late fetal stages of cardiomyocyte maturity. Therefore, although the end goal is to achieve adult phenotypic maturity, more emphasis must be placed on elucidating how the in vivo fetal microenvironment drives cardiomyocyte maturation. This information can then be utilized to develop natural engineering approaches that can emulate this fetal microenvironment and thus make prominent progress in pluripotent stem cell-derived maturity toward a more clinically relevant model for cardiac regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano J Scuderi
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Butcher
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
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Cdon deficiency causes cardiac remodeling through hyperactivation of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E1345-E1354. [PMID: 28154134 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615105114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
On pathological stress, Wnt signaling is reactivated and induces genes associated with cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. We have previously shown that a cell surface receptor Cdon (cell-adhesion associated, oncogene regulated) suppresses Wnt signaling to promote neuronal differentiation however its role in heart is unknown. Here, we demonstrate a critical role of Cdon in cardiac function and remodeling. Cdon is expressed and predominantly localized at intercalated disk in both mouse and human hearts. Cdon-deficient mice develop cardiac dysfunction including reduced ejection fraction and ECG abnormalities. Cdon-/- hearts exhibit increased fibrosis and up-regulation of genes associated with cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. Electrical remodeling was demonstrated by up-regulation and mislocalization of the gap junction protein, Connexin 43 (Cx43) in Cdon-/- hearts. In agreement with altered Cx43 expression, functional analysis both using Cdon-/- cardiomyocytes and shRNA-mediated knockdown in rat cardiomyocytes shows aberrant gap junction activities. Analysis of the underlying mechanism reveals that Cdon-/- hearts exhibit hyperactive Wnt signaling as evident by β-catenin accumulation and Axin2 up-regulation. On the other hand, the treatment of rat cardiomyocytes with a Wnt activator TWS119 reduces Cdon levels and aberrant Cx43 activities, similarly to Cdon-deficient cardiomyocytes, suggesting a negative feedback between Cdon and Wnt signaling. Finally, inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by XAV939, IWP2 or dickkopf (DKK)1 prevented Cdon depletion-induced up-regulation of collagen 1a and Cx43. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Cdon deficiency causes hyperactive Wnt signaling leading to aberrant intercellular coupling and cardiac fibrosis. Cdon exhibits great potential as a target for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyopathy.
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Connexins, E-cadherin, Claudin-7 and β-catenin transiently form junctional nexuses during the post-natal mammary gland development. Dev Biol 2016; 416:52-68. [PMID: 27291930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Gap junctions are intercellular channels made of connexins (Cxs) that allow direct communication between adjacent cells. Modulation of Cxs has been associated with abnormal development and function of the mammary gland and breast cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying their expression during normal mammary gland are not yet known. Cxs interact with components of tight and adherens junctions. Thus, we hypothesized that the expression levels of Cxs vary during mammary gland development and are regulated through stage-dependent interactions with members of the tight and adherens junctions. Our specific objectives were to: 1) determine the expression of Cxs and tight and adherens junction proteins throughout development and 2) characterize Cxs interactions with components of tight and adherens junctions. Murine mammary glands were sampled at various developmental stages (pre-pubescent to post-weaning). RT-qPCR and western-blot analyses demonstrated differential expression patterns for all gap (Cx43, Cx32, Cx26, Cx30), tight (Claudin-1, -3, -4, -7) and adherens (β-catenin, E- and P-cadherins) junctions throughout development. Interestingly, co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated interactions between these different types of junctions. Cx30 interacted with Cx26 just at the late pregnancy stage. While Cx43 showed a persistent interaction with β-catenin from virginity to post-weaning, its interactions with E-cadherin and Claudin-7 were transient. Cx32 interacted with Cx26, E-cadherin and β-catenin during lactation. Immunofluorescence results confirmed the existence of a junctional nexus that remodeled during mammary gland development. Together, our results confirm that the expression levels of Cxs vary concomitantly and that Cxs form junctional nexuses with tight and adherens junctions, suggesting the existence of common regulatory pathways.
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Abstract
Myocardial fibrosis is a significant global health problem associated with nearly all forms of heart disease. Cardiac fibroblasts comprise an essential cell type in the heart that is responsible for the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix; however, upon injury, these cells transform to a myofibroblast phenotype and contribute to cardiac fibrosis. This remodeling involves pathological changes that include chamber dilation, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis, and ultimately leads to the progression to heart failure. Despite the critical importance of fibrosis in cardiovascular disease, our limited understanding of the cardiac fibroblast impedes the development of potential therapies that effectively target this cell type and its pathological contribution to disease progression. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the origins and roles of fibroblasts, mediators and signaling pathways known to influence fibroblast function after myocardial injury, as well as novel therapeutic strategies under investigation to attenuate cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua G Travers
- From the Heart Institute, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH
| | - Fadia A Kamal
- From the Heart Institute, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH
| | - Jeffrey Robbins
- From the Heart Institute, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH
| | - Katherine E Yutzey
- From the Heart Institute, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH
| | - Burns C Blaxall
- From the Heart Institute, Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH.
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Tzatzalos E, Abilez OJ, Shukla P, Wu JC. Engineered heart tissues and induced pluripotent stem cells: Macro- and microstructures for disease modeling, drug screening, and translational studies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 96:234-244. [PMID: 26428619 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Revised: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Engineered heart tissue has emerged as a personalized platform for drug screening. With the advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, patient-specific stem cells can be developed and expanded into an indefinite source of cells. Subsequent developments in cardiovascular biology have led to efficient differentiation of cardiomyocytes, the force-producing cells of the heart. iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) have provided potentially limitless quantities of well-characterized, healthy, and disease-specific CMs, which in turn has enabled and driven the generation and scale-up of human physiological and disease-relevant engineered heart tissues. The combined technologies of engineered heart tissue and iPSC-CMs are being used to study diseases and to test drugs, and in the process, have advanced the field of cardiovascular tissue engineering into the field of precision medicine. In this review, we will discuss current developments in engineered heart tissue, including iPSC-CMs as a novel cell source. We examine new research directions that have improved the function of engineered heart tissue by using mechanical or electrical conditioning or the incorporation of non-cardiomyocyte stromal cells. Finally, we discuss how engineered heart tissue can evolve into a powerful tool for therapeutic drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangeline Tzatzalos
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Oscar J Abilez
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
- Bio-X Program
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
| | - Praveen Shukla
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
- Bio-X Program
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
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Maturing human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in human engineered cardiac tissues. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 96:110-34. [PMID: 25956564 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Engineering functional human cardiac tissue that mimics the native adult morphological and functional phenotype has been a long held objective. In the last 5 years, the field of cardiac tissue engineering has transitioned from cardiac tissues derived from various animal species to the production of the first generation of human engineered cardiac tissues (hECTs), due to recent advances in human stem cell biology. Despite this progress, the hECTs generated to date remain immature relative to the native adult myocardium. In this review, we focus on the maturation challenge in the context of hECTs, the present state of the art, and future perspectives in terms of regenerative medicine, drug discovery, preclinical safety testing and pathophysiological studies.
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Pilarczyk G, Raulf A, Gunkel M, Fleischmann BK, Lemor R, Hausmann M. Tissue-Mimicking Geometrical Constraints Stimulate Tissue-Like Constitution and Activity of Mouse Neonatal and Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Myocytes. J Funct Biomater 2016; 7:E1. [PMID: 26751484 PMCID: PMC4810060 DOI: 10.3390/jfb7010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The present work addresses the question of to what extent a geometrical support acts as a physiological determining template in the setup of artificial cardiac tissue. Surface patterns with alternating concave to convex transitions of cell size dimensions were used to organize and orientate human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC)-derived cardiac myocytes and mouse neonatal cardiac myocytes. The shape of the cells, as well as the organization of the contractile apparatus recapitulates the anisotropic line pattern geometry being derived from tissue geometry motives. The intracellular organization of the contractile apparatus and the cell coupling via gap junctions of cell assemblies growing in a random or organized pattern were examined. Cell spatial and temporal coordinated excitation and contraction has been compared on plain and patterned substrates. While the α-actinin cytoskeletal organization is comparable to terminally-developed native ventricular tissue, connexin-43 expression does not recapitulate gap junction distribution of heart muscle tissue. However, coordinated contractions could be observed. The results of tissue-like cell ensemble organization open new insights into geometry-dependent cell organization, the cultivation of artificial heart tissue from stem cells and the anisotropy-dependent activity of therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Götz Pilarczyk
- Kirchhoff Institute für Physik, Im Neuenheimer Feld INF 270, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany.
| | - Alexandra Raulf
- Institut für Physiologie der Unversität Bonn, Life & Brain Center, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, Bonn D-53127, Germany.
| | - Manuel Gunkel
- ViroQuant Cell Networks RNAi Screening Facility, BioQuant Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld INF 267, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany.
| | - Bernd K Fleischmann
- Institut für Physiologie der Unversität Bonn, Life & Brain Center, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, Bonn D-53127, Germany.
| | - Robert Lemor
- Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology, 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, Esch-Belval L-4362, Luxembourg.
| | - Michael Hausmann
- Kirchhoff Institute für Physik, Im Neuenheimer Feld INF 270, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany.
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Lux M, Andrée B, Horvath T, Nosko A, Manikowski D, Hilfiker-Kleiner D, Haverich A, Hilfiker A. In vitro maturation of large-scale cardiac patches based on a perfusable starter matrix by cyclic mechanical stimulation. Acta Biomater 2016; 30:177-187. [PMID: 26546973 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The ultimate goal of tissue engineering is the generation of implants similar to native tissue. Thus, it is essential to utilize physiological stimuli to improve the quality of engineered constructs. Numerous publications reported that mechanical stimulation of small-sized, non-perfusable, tissue engineered cardiac constructs leads to a maturation of immature cardiomyocytes like neonatal rat cardiomyocytes or induced pluripotent stem cells/embryonic stem cells derived self-contracting cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of mechanical stimulation and perfusion on the maturation process of large-scale (2.5×4.5cm), implantable cardiac patches based on decellularized porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) or Biological Vascularized Matrix (BioVaM) and a 3-dimensional construct containing neonatal rat heart cells. Application of cyclic mechanical stretch improved contractile function, cardiomyocyte alignment along the stretch axis and gene expression of cardiomyocyte markers. The development of a complex network formed by endothelial cells within the cardiac construct was enhanced by cyclic stretch. Finally, the utilization of BioVaM enabled the perfusion of the matrix during stimulation, augmenting the beneficial influence of cyclic stretch. Thus, this study demonstrates the maturation of cardiac constructs with clinically relevant dimensions by the application of cyclic mechanical stretch and perfusion of the starter matrix. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Considering the poor endogenous regeneration of the heart, engineering of bioartificial cardiac tissue for the replacement of infarcted myocardium is an exciting strategy. Most techniques for the generation of cardiac tissue result in relative small-sized constructs insufficient for clinical applications. Another issue is to achieve cardiomyocytes and tissue maturation in culture. Here we report, for the first time, the effect of mechanical stimulation and simultaneous perfusion on the maturation of cardiac constructs of clinical relevant dimensions, which are based on a perfusable starter matrix derived from porcine small intestine. In response to these stimuli superior organization of cardiomyocytes and vascular networks was observed in contrast to untreated controls. The study provides substantial progress towards the generation of implantable cardiac patches.
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Sirabella D, Cimetta E, Vunjak-Novakovic G. "The state of the heart": Recent advances in engineering human cardiac tissue from pluripotent stem cells. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2015; 240:1008-18. [PMID: 26069271 DOI: 10.1177/1535370215589910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The pressing need for effective cell therapy for the heart has led to the investigation of suitable cell sources for tissue replacement. In recent years, human pluripotent stem cell research expanded tremendously, in particular since the derivation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells. In parallel, bioengineering technologies have led to novel approaches for in vitro cell culture. The combination of these two fields holds potential for in vitro generation of high-fidelity heart tissue, both for basic research and for therapeutic applications. However, this new multidisciplinary science is still at an early stage. Many questions need to be answered and improvements need to be made before clinical applications become a reality. Here we discuss the current status of human stem cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes and the combined use of bioengineering approaches for cardiac tissue formation and maturation in developmental studies, disease modeling, drug testing, and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Sirabella
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York 10032, USA
| | - Elisa Cimetta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York 10032, USA
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Dostal D, Glaser S, Baudino TA. Cardiac Fibroblast Physiology and Pathology. Compr Physiol 2015; 5:887-909. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c140053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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iASPP, a previously unidentified regulator of desmosomes, prevents arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)-induced sudden death. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E973-81. [PMID: 25691752 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1408111112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Desmosomes are anchoring junctions that exist in cells that endure physical stress such as cardiac myocytes. The importance of desmosomes in maintaining the homeostasis of the myocardium is underscored by frequent mutations of desmosome components found in human patients and animal models. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a phenotype caused by mutations in desmosomal components in ∼ 50% of patients, however, the causes in the remaining 50% of patients still remain unknown. A deficiency of inhibitor of apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (iASPP), an evolutionarily conserved inhibitor of p53, caused by spontaneous mutation recently has been associated with a lethal autosomal recessive cardiomyopathy in Poll Hereford calves and Wa3 mice. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate this putative function of iASPP are completely unknown. Here, we show that iASPP is expressed at intercalated discs in human and mouse postmitotic cardiomyocytes. iASPP interacts with desmoplakin and desmin in cardiomyocytes to maintain the integrity of desmosomes and intermediate filament networks in vitro and in vivo. iASPP deficiency specifically induces right ventricular dilatation in mouse embryos at embryonic day 16.5. iASPP-deficient mice with exon 8 deletion (Ppp1r13l(Δ8/Δ8)) die of sudden cardiac death, displaying features of ARVC. Intercalated discs in cardiomyocytes from four of six human ARVC cases show reduced or loss of iASPP. ARVC-derived desmoplakin mutants DSP-1-V30M and DSP-1-S299R exhibit weaker binding to iASPP. These data demonstrate that by interacting with desmoplakin and desmin, iASPP is an important regulator of desmosomal function both in vitro and in vivo. This newly identified property of iASPP may provide new molecular insight into the pathogenesis of ARVC.
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