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Du J, Yuan X, Deng H, Huang R, Liu B, Xiong T, Long X, Zhang L, Li Y, She Q. Single-cell and spatial heterogeneity landscapes of mature epicardial cells. J Pharm Anal 2023; 13:894-907. [PMID: 37719196 PMCID: PMC10499659 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Tbx18, Wt1, and Tcf21 have been identified as epicardial markers during the early embryonic stage. However, the gene markers of mature epicardial cells remain unclear. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis was performed with the Seurat, Monocle, and CellphoneDB packages in R software with standard procedures. Spatial transcriptomics was performed on chilled Visium Tissue Optimization Slides (10x Genomics) and Visium Spatial Gene Expression Slides (10x Genomics). Spatial transcriptomics analysis was performed with Space Ranger software and R software. Immunofluorescence, whole-mount RNA in situ hybridization and X-gal staining were performed to validate the analysis results. Spatial transcriptomics analysis revealed distinct transcriptional profiles and functions between epicardial tissue and non-epicardial tissue. Several gene markers specific to postnatal epicardial tissue were identified, including Msln, C3, Efemp1, and Upk3b. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that cardiac cells from wildtype mouse hearts (from embryonic day 9.5 to postnatal day 9) could be categorized into six major cell types, which included epicardial cells. Throughout epicardial development, Wt1, Tbx18, and Upk3b were consistently expressed, whereas genes including Msln, C3, and Efemp1 exhibited increased expression during the mature stages of development. Pseudotime analysis further revealed two epicardial cell fates during maturation. Moreover, Upk3b, Msln, Efemp1, and C3 positive epicardial cells were enriched in extracellular matrix signaling. Our results suggested Upk3b, Efemp1, Msln, C3, and other genes were mature epicardium markers. Extracellular matrix signaling was found to play a critical role in the mature epicardium, thus suggesting potential therapeutic targets for heart regeneration in future clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Du
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Haijun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Rongzhong Huang
- Precision Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Tianhua Xiong
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Xianglin Long
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention, Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Yingrui Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Qiang She
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
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Jang J, Song G, Pettit SM, Li Q, Song X, Cai CL, Kaushal S, Li D. Epicardial HDAC3 Promotes Myocardial Growth Through a Novel MicroRNA Pathway. Circ Res 2022; 131:151-164. [PMID: 35722872 PMCID: PMC9308743 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.122.320785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Establishment of the myocardial wall requires proper growth cues from nonmyocardial tissues. During heart development, the epicardium and epicardium-derived cells instruct myocardial growth by secreting essential factors including FGF (fibroblast growth factor) 9 and IGF (insulin-like growth factor) 2. However, it is poorly understood how the epicardial secreted factors are regulated, in particular by chromatin modifications for myocardial formation. The current study is to investigate whether and how HDAC (histone deacetylase) 3 in the developing epicardium regulates myocardial growth. METHODS Various cellular and mouse models in conjunction with biochemical and molecular tools were employed to study the role of HDAC3 in the developing epicardium. RESULTS We deleted Hdac3 in the developing murine epicardium, and mutant hearts showed ventricular myocardial wall hypoplasia with reduction of epicardium-derived cells. The cultured embryonic cardiomyocytes with supernatants from Hdac3 knockout (KO) mouse epicardial cells also showed decreased proliferation. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis revealed that Fgf9 and Igf2 were significantly downregulated in Hdac3 KO mouse epicardial cells. We further found that Fgf9 and Igf2 expression is dependent on HDAC3 deacetylase activity. The supplementation of FGF9 or IGF2 can rescue the myocardial proliferation defects treated by Hdac3 KO supernatant. Mechanistically, we identified that microRNA (miR)-322 and miR-503 were upregulated in Hdac3 KO mouse epicardial cells and Hdac3 epicardial KO hearts. Overexpression of miR-322 or miR-503 repressed FGF9 and IGF2 expression, while knockdown of miR-322 or miR-503 restored FGF9 and IGF2 expression in Hdac3 KO mouse epicardial cells. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal a critical signaling pathway in which epicardial HDAC3 promotes compact myocardial growth by stimulating FGF9 and IGF2 through repressing miR-322 or miR-503, providing novel insights in elucidating the etiology of congenital heart defects and conceptual strategies to promote myocardial regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihyun Jang
- Center for Vascular and Inflammation Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Guang Song
- Center for Vascular and Inflammation Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Sarah M. Pettit
- Center for Vascular and Inflammation Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Qinshan Li
- Center for Vascular and Inflammation Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Xiaosu Song
- Center for Vascular and Inflammation Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Chen-leng Cai
- Department of Pediatrics, Herman Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46201
| | - Sunjay Kaushal
- Division of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Deqiang Li
- Center for Vascular and Inflammation Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
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Dysregulated Epicardial Adipose Tissue as a Risk Factor and Potential Therapeutic Target of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Diabetes. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020176. [PMID: 35204677 PMCID: PMC8961672 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular (CV) disease and heart failure (HF) are the leading cause of mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2DM), a metabolic disease which represents a fast-growing health challenge worldwide. Specifically, T2DM induces a cluster of systemic metabolic and non-metabolic signaling which may promote myocardium derangements such as inflammation, fibrosis, and myocyte stiffness, which represent the hallmarks of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). On the other hand, several observational studies have reported that patients with T2DM have an abnormally enlarged and biologically transformed epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) compared with non-diabetic controls. This expanded EAT not only causes a mechanical constriction of the diastolic filling but is also a source of pro-inflammatory mediators capable of causing inflammation, microcirculatory dysfunction and fibrosis of the underlying myocardium, thus impairing the relaxability of the left ventricle and increasing its filling pressure. In addition to representing a potential CV risk factor, emerging evidence shows that EAT may guide the therapeutic decision in diabetic patients as drugs such as metformin, glucagon-like peptide‑1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-Is), have been associated with attenuation of EAT enlargement.
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Ge Y, Smits AM, Liu J, Zhang J, van Brakel TJ, Goumans MJTH, Jongbloed MRM, de Vries AAF. Generation, Characterization, and Application of Inducible Proliferative Adult Human Epicardium-Derived Cells. Cells 2021; 10:2064. [PMID: 34440833 PMCID: PMC8391799 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE In recent decades, the great potential of human epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) as an endogenous cell source for cardiac regeneration has been recognized. The limited availability and low proliferation capacity of primary human EPDCs and phenotypic differences between EPDCs obtained from different individuals hampers their reproducible use for experimental studies. AIM To generate and characterize inducible proliferative adult human EPDCs for use in fundamental and applied research. METHODS AND RESULTS Inducible proliferation of human EPDCs was achieved by doxycycline-controlled expression of simian virus 40 large T antigen (LT) with a repressor-based lentiviral Tet-On system. In the presence of doxycycline, these inducible EPDCs (iEPDCs) displayed high and long-term proliferation capacity. After doxycycline removal, LT expression ceased and the iEPDCs regained their cuboidal epithelial morphology. Similar to primary EPDCs, iEPDCs underwent an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) after stimulation with transforming growth factor β3. This was confirmed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of epithelial and mesenchymal marker gene expression and (immuno) cytochemical staining. Collagen gel-based cell invasion assays demonstrated that mesenchymal iEPDCs, like primary EPDCs, possess increased invasion and migration capacities as compared to their epithelial counterparts. Mesenchymal iEPDCs co-cultured with sympathetic ganglia stimulated neurite outgrowth similarly to primary EPDCs. CONCLUSION Using an inducible LT expression system, inducible proliferative adult human EPDCs were generated displaying high proliferative capacity in the presence of doxycycline. These iEPDCs maintain essential epicardial characteristics with respect to morphology, EMT ability, and paracrine signaling following doxycycline removal. This renders iEPDCs a highly useful new in vitro model for studying human epicardial properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ge
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands; (Y.G.); (M.R.M.J.)
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.L.); (J.Z.); (A.A.F.d.V.)
| | - Anke M. Smits
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.L.); (J.Z.); (A.A.F.d.V.)
- Central Laboratory, Longgang District People’s Hospital of Shenzhen & The Third Affiliated Hospital of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.L.); (J.Z.); (A.A.F.d.V.)
| | - Thomas J. van Brakel
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Marie José T. H. Goumans
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Monique R. M. Jongbloed
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands; (Y.G.); (M.R.M.J.)
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.L.); (J.Z.); (A.A.F.d.V.)
| | - Antoine A. F. de Vries
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.L.); (J.Z.); (A.A.F.d.V.)
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