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Chang H, Liu Q, Zimmerman JF, Lee KY, Jin Q, Peters MM, Rosnach M, Choi S, Kim SL, Ardoña HAM, MacQueen LA, Chantre CO, Motta SE, Cordoves EM, Parker KK. Recreating the heart's helical structure-function relationship with focused rotary jet spinning. Science 2022; 377:180-185. [PMID: 35857545 PMCID: PMC10077766 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl6395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Helical alignments within the heart's musculature have been speculated to be important in achieving physiological pumping efficiencies. Testing this possibility is difficult, however, because it is challenging to reproduce the fine spatial features and complex structures of the heart's musculature using current techniques. Here we report focused rotary jet spinning (FRJS), an additive manufacturing approach that enables rapid fabrication of micro/nanofiber scaffolds with programmable alignments in three-dimensional geometries. Seeding these scaffolds with cardiomyocytes enabled the biofabrication of tissue-engineered ventricles, with helically aligned models displaying more uniform deformations, greater apical shortening, and increased ejection fractions compared with circumferential alignments. The ability of FRJS to control fiber arrangements in three dimensions offers a streamlined approach to fabricating tissues and organs, with this work demonstrating how helical architectures contribute to cardiac performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huibin Chang
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Qihan Liu
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - John F. Zimmerman
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Keel Yong Lee
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Qianru Jin
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Michael M. Peters
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Michael Rosnach
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Suji Choi
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Sean L. Kim
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Herdeline Ann M. Ardoña
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Luke A. MacQueen
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Christophe O. Chantre
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Sarah E. Motta
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elizabeth M. Cordoves
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
| | - Kevin Kit Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02134, USA
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Bhagirath P, van der Graaf AWM, de Hooge J, de Groot NMS, Götte MJW. Integrated whole-heart computational workflow for inverse potential mapping and personalized simulations. J Transl Med 2016; 14:147. [PMID: 27226006 PMCID: PMC4880856 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-016-0902-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Integration of whole-heart activation simulations and inverse potential mapping (IPM) could benefit the guidance and planning of electrophysiological procedures. Routine clinical application requires a fast and adaptable workflow. These requirements limit clinical translation of existing simulation models. This study proposes a comprehensive finite element model (FEM) based whole-heart computational workflow suitable for IPM and simulations. Methods Three volunteers and eight patients with premature ventricular contractions underwent body surface potential (BSP) acquisition followed by a cardiac MRI (CMR) scan. The cardiac volumes were segmented from the CMR images using custom written software. The feasibility to integrate tissue-characteristics was assessed by generating meshes with virtual edema and scar. Isochronal activation maps were constructed by identifying the fastest route through the cardiac volume using the Möller–Trumbore and Floyd–Warshall algorithms. IPM’s were reconstructed from the BSP’s. Results Whole-heart computational meshes were generated within seconds. The first point of atrial activation on IPM was located near the crista terminalis of the superior vena cave into the right atrium. The IPM demonstrated the ventricular epicardial breakthrough at the attachment of the moderator band with the right ventricular free wall. Simulations of sinus rhythm were successfully performed. The conduction through the virtual edema and scar meshes demonstrated delayed activation or a complete conductional block respectively. Conclusion The proposed FEM based whole-heart computational workflow offers an integrated platform for cardiac electrical assessment using simulations and IPM. This workflow can incorporate patient-specific electrical parameters, perform whole-heart cardiac activation simulations and accurately reconstruct cardiac activation sequences from BSP’s. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-016-0902-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Bhagirath
- Department of Cardiology, Haga Teaching Hospital, Leyweg 275, 2545 CH, The Hague, The Netherlands.
| | - A W M van der Graaf
- Department of Cardiology, Haga Teaching Hospital, Leyweg 275, 2545 CH, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - J de Hooge
- Department of Cardiology, Haga Teaching Hospital, Leyweg 275, 2545 CH, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - N M S de Groot
- Department of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus Medical Center, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M J W Götte
- Department of Cardiology, Haga Teaching Hospital, Leyweg 275, 2545 CH, The Hague, The Netherlands
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Hemodynamic forces regulate developmental patterning of atrial conduction. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115207. [PMID: 25503944 PMCID: PMC4264946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Anomalous action potential conduction through the atrial chambers of the heart can lead to severe cardiac arrhythmia. To date, however, little is known regarding the mechanisms that pattern proper atrial conduction during development. Here we demonstrate that atrial muscle functionally diversifies into at least two heterogeneous subtypes, thin-walled myocardium and rapidly conducting muscle bundles, during a developmental window just following cardiac looping. During this process, atrial muscle bundles become enriched for the fast conduction markers Cx40 and Nav1.5, similar to the precursors of the fast conduction Purkinje fiber network located within the trabeculae of the ventricles. In contrast to the ventricular trabeculae, however, atrial muscle bundles display an increased proliferation rate when compared to the surrounding myocardium. Interestingly, mechanical loading of the embryonic atrial muscle resulted in an induction of Cx40, Nav1.5 and the cell cycle marker Cyclin D1, while decreasing atrial pressure via in vivo ligation of the vitelline blood vessels results in decreased atrial conduction velocity. Taken together, these data establish a novel model for atrial conduction patterning, whereby hemodynamic stretch coordinately induces proliferation and fast conduction marker expression, which in turn promotes the formation of large diameter muscle bundles to serve as preferential routes of conduction.
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Kleber AG, Saffitz JE. Role of the intercalated disc in cardiac propagation and arrhythmogenesis. Front Physiol 2014; 5:404. [PMID: 25368581 PMCID: PMC4201087 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This review article discusses mechanisms underlying impulse propagation in cardiac muscle with specific emphasis on the role of the cardiac cell-to-cell junction, called the “intercalated disc.”The first part of this review deals with the role of gap junction channels, formed by connexin proteins, as a determinant of impulse propagation. It is shown that, depending on the underlying structure of the cellular network, decreasing the conductance of gap junction channels (so-called “electrical uncoupling”) may either only slow, or additionally stabilize propagation and reverse unidirectional propagation block to bidirectional propagation. This is because the safety factor for propagation increases with decreasing intercellular electrical conductance. The role of heterogeneous connexin expression, which may be present in disease states, is also discussed. The hypothesis that so-called ephaptic impulse transmission plays a role in heart and can substitute for electrical coupling has been revived recently. Whereas ephaptic transmission can be demonstrated in theoretical simulations, direct experimental evidence has not yet been presented. The second part of this review deals with the interaction of three protein complexes at the intercalated disc: (1) desmosomal and adherens junction proteins, (2) ion channel proteins, and (3) gap junction channels consisting of connexins. Recent work has revealed multiple interactions between these three protein complexes which occur, at least in part, at the level of protein trafficking. Such interactions are likely to play an important role in the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, and may reveal new therapeutic concepts and targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre G Kleber
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Saffitz
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA
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Boukens BJ, Christoffels VM. Electrophysiological patterning of the heart. Pediatr Cardiol 2012; 33:900-6. [PMID: 22367553 DOI: 10.1007/s00246-012-0237-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the adult heart, electrophysiological heterogeneity is present to guide activation and contraction. A change in electrophysiological heterogeneity, for example, during disease, can contribute to arrhythmogenesis. During development, spatial and temporal patterns of transcriptional activity regulate the localized expression of ion channels that cause electrophysiological heterogeneity throughout the heart. If we gain insight into the regulating processes that generate the electrophysiological characteristics and factors involved during development, we can use this knowledge in the search for new therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss which factors guide the electrical patterning of atrioventricular conduction system and ventricles and how this patterning relates to arrhythmogenic disease in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastiaan J Boukens
- Heart Failure Research Center, Department of Anatomy, Embryology and Physiology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Beauchamp P, Yamada KA, Baertschi AJ, Green K, Kanter EM, Saffitz JE, Kléber AG. Relative contributions of connexins 40 and 43 to atrial impulse propagation in synthetic strands of neonatal and fetal murine cardiomyocytes. Circ Res 2006; 99:1216-24. [PMID: 17053190 DOI: 10.1161/01.res.0000250607.34498.b4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Atrial tissue expresses both connexin 40 (Cx40) and 43 (Cx43) proteins. To assess the relative roles of Cx40 and Cx43 in atrial electrical propagation, we synthesized cultured strands of atrial myocytes derived from mice with genetic deficiency in Cx40 or Cx43 expression and measured propagation velocity (PV) by high-resolution optical mapping of voltage-sensitive dye fluorescence. The amount of Cx40 and/or Cx43 in gap junctions was measured by immunohistochemistry and total or sarcolemmal Cx43 or Cx40 protein by immunoblotting. Progressive genetic reduction in Cx43 expression decreased PV from 34+/-6 cm/sec in Cx43(+/+) to 30+/-8 cm/sec in Cx43(+/-) and 19+/-11 cm/sec in Cx43(-/-) cultures. Concomitantly, the cell area occupied by Cx40 immunosignal in gap junctions decreased from 2.0+/-1.6% in Cx43(+/+) to 1.7+/-0.5% in Cx43(+/-) and 1.0+/-0.2% in Cx43(-/-) strands. In contrast, progressive genetic reduction in Cx40 expression increased PV from 30+/-2 cm/sec in Cx40(+/+) to 40+/-7 cm/sec in Cx40(+/-) and 45+/-10 cm/sec in Cx40(-/-) cultures. Concomitantly, the cell area occupied by Cx43 immunosignal in gap junctions increased from 1.2+/-0.9% in Cx40(+/+) to 2.8+/-1.4% in Cx40(+/-) and 3.1+/-0.6% in Cx40(-/-) cultures. In accordance with the immunostaining results, immunoblots of the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction revealed an increase of Cx43 in gap junctions in extracts from Cx40-ablated atria, whereas total cellular Cx43 remained unchanged. Our results suggest that the relative abundance of Cx43 and Cx40 is an important determinant of atrial impulse propagation in neonatal hearts, whereby dominance of Cx40 decreases and dominance of Cx43 increases local propagation velocity.
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Kléber AG. The shape of the electrical action-potential upstroke: a new aspect from optical measurements on the surface of the heart. Circ Res 2005; 97:204-6. [PMID: 16081874 DOI: 10.1161/01.res.0000177922.62341.f2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Beauchamp P, Choby C, Desplantez T, de Peyer K, Green K, Yamada KA, Weingart R, Saffitz JE, Kléber AG. Electrical propagation in synthetic ventricular myocyte strands from germline connexin43 knockout mice. Circ Res 2004; 95:170-8. [PMID: 15192022 DOI: 10.1161/01.res.0000134923.05174.2f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To characterize the role of connexin43 (Cx43) as a determinant of cardiac propagation, we synthesized strands and pairs of ventricular myocytes from germline Cx43-/- mice. The amount of Cx43, Cx45, and Cx40 in gap junctions was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. Intercellular electrical conductance, gj, was measured by the dual-voltage clamp technique (DVC), and electrical propagation was assessed by multisite optical mapping of transmembrane potential using a voltage-sensitive dye. Compared with wild-type (Cx43+/+) strands, immunoreactive signal for Cx43 was reduced by 46% in Cx43+/- strands and was absent in Cx43-/- strands. Cx45 signal was reduced by 46% in Cx43+/- strands and to the limit of detection in Cx43-/- strands, but total Cx45 protein levels measured in immunoblots of whole cell homogenates were equivalent in all genotypes. Cx40 was detected in 2% of myocytes. Intercellular conductance, gj, was reduced by 32% in Cx43+/- cell pairs and by 96% in Cx43-/- cell pairs. The symmetrical dependence of gj on transjunctional voltage and properties of single-channel recordings indicated that Cx45 was the only remaining connexin in Cx43-/- cells. Propagation in Cx43-/- strands was very slow (2.1 cm/s versus 52 cm/s in Cx43+/+) and highly discontinuous, with simultaneous excitation within and long conduction delays (2 to 3 ms) between individual cells. Propagation was abolished by 1 mmol/L heptanol, indicating residual junctional coupling. In summary, knockout of Cx43 in ventricular myocytes leads to very slow conduction dependent on the presence of Cx45. Electrical field effect transmission does not contribute to propagation in synthetic strands.
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Yao JA, Hussain W, Patel P, Peters NS, Boyden PA, Wit AL. Remodeling of gap junctional channel function in epicardial border zone of healing canine infarcts. Circ Res 2003; 92:437-43. [PMID: 12600896 DOI: 10.1161/01.res.0000059301.81035.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The epicardial border zone (EBZ) of canine infarcts has increased anisotropy because of transverse conduction slowing. It remains unknown whether changes in gap junctional conductance (Gj) accompany the increased anisotropy. Ventricular cell pairs were isolated from EBZ and normal hearts (NZ). Dual patch clamp was used to quantify Gj. At a transjunctional voltage (Vj) of +10 mV, side-to-side Gj of EBZ pairs (9.2+/-3.4 nS, n=16) was reduced compared with NZ side-to-side Gj (109.4+/-23.6 nS, n=14, P<0.001). Gj of end-to-end coupled cells was not reduced in EBZ. Steady-state Gj of both NZ and EBZ showed voltage dependence, described by a two-way Boltzmann function. Half-maximal activation voltage in EBZ was shifted to higher Vj in positive and negative directions. Immunoconfocal planimetry and quantification showed no change in connexin43 per unit cell volume or surface area in EBZ. Decreased side-to-side coupling occurs in EBZ myocytes, independent of reduced connexin43 expression, and is hypothesized to contribute to increased anisotropy and reentrant arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-An Yao
- Dept of Pharmacology and Center for Molecular Therapeutics, Columbia University, 630 West 168th St, PH7W, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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