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Chirico N, Kessler EL, Maas RGC, Fang J, Qin J, Dokter I, Daniels M, Šarić T, Neef K, Buikema JW, Lei Z, Doevendans PA, Sluijter JPG, van Mil A. Small molecule-mediated rapid maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:531. [PMID: 36575473 PMCID: PMC9795728 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-03209-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) do not display all hallmarks of mature primary cardiomyocytes, especially the ability to use fatty acids (FA) as an energy source, containing high mitochondrial mass, presenting binucleation and increased DNA content per nuclei (polyploidism), and synchronized electrical conduction. This immaturity represents a bottleneck to their application in (1) disease modelling-as most cardiac (genetic) diseases have a middle-age onset-and (2) clinically relevant models, where integration and functional coupling are key. So far, several methods have been reported to enhance iPSC-CM maturation; however, these protocols are laborious, costly, and not easily scalable. Therefore, we developed a simple, low-cost, and rapid protocol to promote cardiomyocyte maturation using two small molecule activators of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ and gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPAR/PGC-1α) pathway: asiatic acid (AA) and GW501516 (GW). METHODS AND RESULTS: Monolayers of iPSC-CMs were incubated with AA or GW every other day for ten days resulting in increased expression of FA metabolism-related genes and markers for mitochondrial activity. AA-treated iPSC-CMs responsiveness to the mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors increased and exhibited higher flexibility in substrate utilization. Additionally, structural maturity improved after treatment as demonstrated by an increase in mRNA expression of sarcomeric-related genes and higher nuclear polyploidy in AA-treated samples. Furthermore, treatment led to increased ion channel gene expression and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, we developed a fast, easy, and economical method to induce iPSC-CMs maturation via PPAR/PGC-1α activation. Treatment with AA or GW led to increased metabolic, structural, functional, and electrophysiological maturation, evaluated using a multiparametric quality assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nino Chirico
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elise L. Kessler
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Renée G. C. Maas
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Juntao Fang
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jiabin Qin
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Inge Dokter
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Daniels
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tomo Šarić
- grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute for Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Klaus Neef
- grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.491096.3Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Medical Centre, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan-Willem Buikema
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zhiyong Lei
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter A. Doevendans
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.411737.7Netherlands Heart Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joost P. G. Sluijter
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alain van Mil
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Circulatory Health Laboratory, Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.7692.a0000000090126352Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Torres NS. Activation of reverse Na +-Ca 2+ exchanger by skeletal Na + channel isoform increases excitation-contraction coupling efficiency in rabbit cardiomyocytes. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020; 320:H593-H603. [PMID: 33275521 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00545.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Our prior work has shown that Na+ current (INa) affects sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca2+ release by activating early reverse of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX). The resulting Ca2+ entry primes the dyadic cleft, which appears to increase Ca2+ channel coupling fidelity. It has been shown that the skeletal isoform of the voltage-gated Na+ channel (Nav1.4) is the main tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Nav isoform expressed in adult rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes. Here, I tested the hypothesis that it is also the principal isoform involved in the priming mechanism. Action potentials (APs) were evoked in isolated rabbit ventricular cells loaded with fluo-4, and simultaneously recorded Ca2+ transients before and after the application of either relatively low doses of TTX (100 nM), the specific Nav1.4 inhibitor μ-Conotoxin GIIIB or the specific Nav1.1 inhibitor ICA 121430. Although APs changes after the application of each drug reflected the relative abundance of each isoform, the effects of TTX and GIIIB on SR Ca2+ release (measured as the transient maximum upstroke velocity) were no different. Furthermore, this reduction in SR Ca2+ release was comparable with the value that we obtained previously when total INa was inactivated with a ramp applied under voltage clamp. Finally, SR Ca2+ release was unaltered by the same ramp in the presence of TTX or GIIB. In contrast, application of ICA had no effect of SR Ca2+ release. These results suggest that Nav1.4 is the main Nav isoform involved in regulating the efficiency of excitation-contraction coupling in rabbit cardiomyocytes by priming the junction via activation of reverse-mode NCX.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A number of studies suggest that the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) activated by Na+ currents is involved in the process of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in cardiac ventricular myocytes. Although insufficient to trigger sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release alone, the Ca2+ entering through reverse NCX during an action potential can prime the dyadic cleft and increase the Ca2+ current coupling fidelity. Using specific Na+ inhibitors in this study, we show that in rabbit ventricular cells the skeletal Na+ channel isoform (Nav1.4) is the main isoform responsible for this priming. Our study provides insights into a mechanism that may have an increased relevance where EC coupling is remodeled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia S Torres
- Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Miller JM, Mardhekar NM, Pretorius D, Krishnamurthy P, Rajasekaran NS, Zhang J, Kannappan R. DNA damage-free iPS cells exhibit potential to yield competent cardiomyocytes. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020; 318:H801-H815. [PMID: 32057252 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00658.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
DNA damage accrued in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes during in vitro culture practices lessens their therapeutic potential. We determined whether DNA-damage-free iPSCs (DdF-iPSCs) can be selected using stabilization of p53, a transcription factor that promotes apoptosis in DNA-damaged cells, and differentiated them into functionally competent DdF cardiomyocytes (DdF-CMs). p53 was activated using Nutlin-3a in iPSCs to selectively kill the DNA-damaged cells, and the stable DdF cells were cultured further and differentiated into CMs. Both DdF-iPSCs and DdF-CMs were then characterized. We observed a significant decrease in the expression of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage in DdF-iPSCs compared with control (Ctrl) iPSCs. Next-generation RNA sequencing and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed improved molecular, cellular, and physiological functions in DdF-iPSCs. The differentiated DdF-CMs had a compact beating frequency between 40 and 60 beats/min accompanied by increased cell surface area. Additionally, DdF-CMs were able to retain the improved molecular, cellular, and physiological functions after differentiation from iPSCs, and, interestingly, cardiac development network was prominent compared with Ctrl-CMs. Enhanced expression of various ion channel transcripts in DdF-CMs implies DdF-CMs are of ventricular CMs and mature compared with their counterparts. Our results indicated that DdF-iPSCs could be selected through p53 stabilization using a small-molecule inhibitor and differentiated into ventricular DdF-CMs with fine-tuned molecular signatures. These iPSC-derived DdF-CMs show immense clinical potential in repairing injured myocardium.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Culture-stress-induced DNA damage in stem cells lessens their performance. A robust small-molecule-based approach, by stabilizing/activating p53, to select functionally competent DNA-damage-free cells from a heterogeneous population of cells is demonstrated. This protocol can be adopted by clinics to select DNA-damage-free cells before transplanting them to the host myocardium. The intact DNA-damage-free cells exhibited with fine-tuned molecular signatures and improved cellular functions. DNA-damage-free cardiomyocytes compared with control expressed superior cardiomyocyte functional properties, including, but not limited to, enhanced ion channel signatures. These DNA-intact cells would better engraft, survive, and, importantly, improve the cardiac function of the injured myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Nikhil M Mardhekar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Danielle Pretorius
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Prasanna Krishnamurthy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Namakkal Soorappan Rajasekaran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.,Division of Molecular & Cellular Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Jianyi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ramaswamy Kannappan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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McKinnon D, Rosati B. Transmural gradients in ion channel and auxiliary subunit expression. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 2016; 122:165-186. [PMID: 27702655 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Evolution has acted to shape the action potential in different regions of the heart in order to produce a maximally stable and efficient pump. This has been achieved by creating regional differences in ion channel expression levels within the heart as well as differences between equivalent cardiac tissues in different species. These region- and species-dependent differences in channel expression are established by regulatory evolution, evolution of the regulatory mechanisms that control channel expression levels. Ion channel auxiliary subunits are obvious targets for regulatory evolution, in order to change channel expression levels and/or modify channel function. This review focuses on the transmural gradients of ion channel expression in the heart and the role that regulation of auxiliary subunit expression plays in generating and shaping these gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David McKinnon
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, NY, USA; Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Barbara Rosati
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, NY, USA; Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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