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Rosalia L, Wang SX, Ozturk C, Huang W, Bonnemain J, Beatty R, Duffy GP, Nguyen CT, Roche ET. Soft robotic platform for progressive and reversible aortic constriction in a small-animal model. Sci Robot 2024; 9:eadj9769. [PMID: 38865476 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adj9769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Our understanding of cardiac remodeling processes due to left ventricular pressure overload derives largely from animal models of aortic banding. However, these studies fail to enable control over both disease progression and reversal, hindering their clinical relevance. Here, we describe a method for progressive and reversible aortic banding based on an implantable expandable actuator that can be finely tuned to modulate aortic banding and debanding in a rat model. Through catheterization, imaging, and histologic studies, we demonstrate that our platform can recapitulate the hemodynamic and structural changes associated with pressure overload in a controllable manner. We leveraged soft robotics to enable noninvasive aortic debanding, demonstrating that these changes can be partly reversed because of cessation of the biomechanical stimulus. By recapitulating longitudinal disease progression and reversibility, this animal model could elucidate fundamental mechanisms of cardiac remodeling and optimize timing of intervention for pressure overload.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Rosalia
- Health Sciences and Technology Program, Harvard University - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sophie X Wang
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Caglar Ozturk
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Koch Institute For Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jean Bonnemain
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Adult Intensive Care Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Rachel Beatty
- Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine Institute, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Garry P Duffy
- Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine Institute, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Christopher T Nguyen
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radiology, and Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ellen T Roche
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Pironti G. State-of-the-art methodologies used in preclinical studies to assess left ventricular diastolic and systolic function in mice, pitfalls and troubleshooting. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1228789. [PMID: 37608817 PMCID: PMC10441126 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1228789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are still the leading cause of death worldwide. The improved survival of patients with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity together with the extension of life expectancy contributes to raise the prevalence of CVD in the increasingly aged society. Therefore, a translational research platform that enables precise evaluation of cardiovascular function in healthy and disease condition and assess the efficacy of novel pharmacological treatments, could implement basic science and contribute to reduce CVD burden. Heart failure is a deadly syndrome characterized by the inability of the heart to meet the oxygen demands of the body (unless there is a compensatory increased of filling pressure) and can manifest either with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The development and progression of HFrEF is mostly attributable to impaired contractile performance (systole), while in HFpEF the main problem resides in decreased ability of left ventricle to relax and allow the blood filling (diastole). Murine preclinical models have been broadly used in research to understand pathophysiologic mechanisms of heart failure and test the efficacy of novel therapies. Several methods have been employed to characterise cardiac systolic and diastolic function including Pressure Volume (PV) loop hemodynamic analysis, echocardiography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The choice of one methodology or another depends on many aspects including budget available, skills of the operator and design of the study. The aim of this review is to discuss the importance of several methodologies that are commonly used to characterise the cardiovascular phenotype of preclinical models of heart failure highlighting advantages and limitation of each procedure. Although it requires highly skilled operators for execution, PV loop analysis represents the "gold standard" methodology that enables the assessment of left ventricular performance also independently of vascular loading conditions and heart rate, which conferee a really high physiologic importance to this procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Pironti
- Cardiology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Dupays L, Towers N, Wood S, David A, Stuckey DJ, Mohun T. Furin, a transcriptional target of NKX2-5, has an essential role in heart development and function. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212992. [PMID: 30840660 PMCID: PMC6402701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeodomain transcription factor NKX2-5 is known to be essential for both normal heart development and for heart function. But little is yet known about the identities of its downstream effectors or their function during differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). We have used transgenic analysis and CRISPR-mediated ablation to identify a cardiac enhancer of the Furin gene. The Furin gene, encoding a proprotein convertase, is directly repressed by NKX2-5. Deletion of Furin in CPCs is embryonic lethal, with mutant hearts showing a range of abnormalities in the outflow tract. Those defects are associated with a reduction in proliferation and premature differentiation of the CPCs. Deletion of Furin in differentiated cardiomyocytes results in viable adult mutant mice showing an elongation of the PR interval, a phenotype that is consistent with the phenotype of mice and human mutant for Nkx2-5. Our results show that Furin mediate some aspects of Nkx2-5 function in the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Dupays
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LD); (TM)
| | - Norma Towers
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Wood
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna David
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. Stuckey
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Mohun
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LD); (TM)
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