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Tikenoğullar i OZ, Peirlinck M, Chubb H, Dubin AM, Kuhl E, Marsden AL. Effects of cardiac growth on electrical dyssynchrony in the single ventricle patient. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2024; 27:1011-1027. [PMID: 37314141 PMCID: PMC10719423 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2023.2222203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Single ventricle patients, including those with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), typically undergo three palliative heart surgeries culminating in the Fontan procedure. HLHS is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, and many patients develop arrhythmias, electrical dyssynchrony, and eventually ventricular failure. However, the correlation between ventricular enlargement and electrical dysfunction in HLHS physiology remains poorly understood. Here we characterize the relationship between growth and electrophysiology in HLHS using computational modeling. We integrate a personalized finite element model, a volumetric growth model, and a personalized electrophysiology model to perform controlled in silico experiments. We show that right ventricle enlargement negatively affects QRS duration and interventricular dyssynchrony. Conversely, left ventricle enlargement can partially compensate for this dyssynchrony. These findings have potential implications on our understanding of the origins of electrical dyssynchrony and, ultimately, the treatment of HLHS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. Z. Tikenoğullar i
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - M. Peirlinck
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - H. Chubb
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - A. M. Dubin
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - E. Kuhl
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - A. L. Marsden
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Colli Franzone P, Pavarino LF, Scacchi S. Numerical evaluation of cardiac mechanical markers as estimators of the electrical activation time. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021; 37:e3285. [PMID: 31808301 DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in the development of noninvasive cardiac imaging technologies have made it possible to measure longitudinal and circumferential strains at a high spatial resolution also at intramural level. Local mechanical activation times derived from these strains can be used as noninvasive estimates of electrical activation, in order to determine, eg, the origin of premature ectopic beats during focal arrhythmias or the pathway of reentrant circuits. The aim of this work is to assess the reliability of mechanical activation time markers derived from longitudinal and circumferential strains, denoted by ATell and ATecc , respectively, by means of three-dimensional cardiac electromechanical simulations. These markers are compared against the electrical activation time (ATv ), computed from the action potential waveform, and the reference mechanical activation markers derived from the active tension and fiber strain waveforms, denoted by ATta and ATeff , respectively. Our numerical simulations are based on a strongly coupled electromechanical model, including bidomain representation of the cardiac tissue, mechanoelectric (ie, stretch-activated channels) and geometric feedbacks, transversely isotropic strain energy function for the description of passive mechanics and detailed membrane and excitation-contraction coupling models. The results have shown that, during endocardial and epicardial ectopic stimulations, all the mechanical markers considered are highly correlated with ATv , exhibiting correlation coefficients larger than 0.8. However, during multiple endocardial stimulations, mimicking the ventricular sinus rhythm, the mechanical markers are less correlated with the electrical activation time, because of the more complex resulting excitation sequence. Moreover, the inspection of the endocardial and epicardial isochrones has shown that the ATell and ATecc mechanical activation sequences reproduce only some qualitative features of the electrical activation sequence, such as the areas of early and late activation, but in some cases, they might yield wrong excitation sources and significantly different isochrones patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca F Pavarino
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Simone Scacchi
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Sharifi H, Mann CK, Rockward AL, Mehri M, Mojumder J, Lee LC, Campbell KS, Wenk JF. Multiscale simulations of left ventricular growth and remodeling. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:729-746. [PMID: 34777616 PMCID: PMC8555068 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00826-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes can adapt their size, shape, and orientation in response to altered biomechanical or biochemical stimuli. The process by which the heart undergoes structural changes-affecting both geometry and material properties-in response to altered ventricular loading, altered hormonal levels, or mutant sarcomeric proteins is broadly known as cardiac growth and remodeling (G&R). Although it is likely that cardiac G&R initially occurs as an adaptive response of the heart to the underlying stimuli, prolonged pathological changes can lead to increased risk of atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and sudden death. During the past few decades, computational models have been extensively used to investigate the mechanisms of cardiac G&R, as a complement to experimental measurements. These models have provided an opportunity to quantitatively study the relationships between the underlying stimuli (primarily mechanical) and the adverse outcomes of cardiac G&R, i.e., alterations in ventricular size and function. State-of-the-art computational models have shown promise in predicting the progression of cardiac G&R. However, there are still limitations that need to be addressed in future works to advance the field. In this review, we first outline the current state of computational models of cardiac growth and myofiber remodeling. Then, we discuss the potential limitations of current models of cardiac G&R that need to be addressed before they can be utilized in clinical care. Finally, we briefly discuss the next feasible steps and future directions that could advance the field of cardiac G&R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Sharifi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 269 Ralph G. Anderson Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0503 USA
| | - Charles K. Mann
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 269 Ralph G. Anderson Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0503 USA
| | - Alexus L. Rockward
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 269 Ralph G. Anderson Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0503 USA
| | - Mohammad Mehri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 269 Ralph G. Anderson Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0503 USA
| | - Joy Mojumder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
| | - Lik-Chuan Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
| | - Kenneth S. Campbell
- Department of Physiology & Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY USA
| | - Jonathan F. Wenk
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 269 Ralph G. Anderson Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0503 USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY USA
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Dell'Era G, Gravellone M, Scacchi S, Franzone PC, Pavarino LF, Boggio E, Prenna E, De Vecchi F, Occhetta E, Devecchi C, Patti G. A clinical-in silico study on the effectiveness of multipoint bicathodic and cathodic-anodal pacing in cardiac resynchronization therapy. Comput Biol Med 2021; 136:104661. [PMID: 34332350 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Up to one-third of patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are nonresponders. Multipoint bicathodic and cathodic-anodal left ventricle (LV) stimulations could overcome this clinical challenge, but their effectiveness remains controversial. Here we evaluate the performance of such stimulations through both in vivo and in silico experiments, the latter based on computer electromechanical modeling. Seven patients, all candidates for CRT, received a quadripolar LV lead. Four stimulations were tested: right ventricular (RVS); conventional single point biventricular (S-BS); multipoint biventricular bicathodic (CC-BS) and multipoint biventricular cathodic-anodal (CA-BS). The following parameters were processed: QRS duration; maximal time derivative of arterial pressure (dPdtmax); systolic arterial pressure (Psys); and stroke volume (SV). Echocardiographic data of each patient were then obtained to create an LV geometric model. Numerical simulations were based on a strongly coupled Bidomain electromechanical coupling model. Considering the in vivo parameters, when comparing S-BS to RVS, there was no significant decrease in SV (from 45 ± 11 to 44 ± 20 ml) and 6% and 4% increases of dPdtmax and Psys, respectively. Focusing on in silico parameters, with respect to RVS, S-BS exhibited a significant increase of SV, dPdtmax and Psys. Neither the in vivo nor in silico results showed any significant hemodynamic and electrical difference among S-BS, CC-BS and CA-BS configurations. These results show that CC-BS and CA-BS yield a comparable CRT performance, but they do not always yield improvement in terms of hemodynamic parameters with respect to S-BS. The computational results confirmed the in vivo observations, thus providing theoretical support to the clinical experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dell'Era
- Cardiologia 1, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "Maggiore Della Carità", Novara, Italy
| | - M Gravellone
- Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Degli Infermi, Biella, Italy
| | - S Scacchi
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Saldini 50, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - P Colli Franzone
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - L F Pavarino
- Dipartimento di Matematica, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - E Boggio
- Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Degli Infermi, Biella, Italy
| | - E Prenna
- Cardiologia 1, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "Maggiore Della Carità", Novara, Italy
| | - F De Vecchi
- Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Sant'Andrea, Vercelli, Italy
| | - E Occhetta
- Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Sant'Andrea, Vercelli, Italy
| | - C Devecchi
- Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Sant'Andrea, Vercelli, Italy
| | - G Patti
- Cardiologia 1, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "Maggiore Della Carità", Novara, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università Del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
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Yoshida K, Holmes JW. Computational models of cardiac hypertrophy. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 159:75-85. [PMID: 32702352 PMCID: PMC7855157 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac hypertrophy, defined as an increase in mass of the heart, is a complex process driven by simultaneous changes in hemodynamics, mechanical stimuli, and hormonal inputs. It occurs not only during pre- and post-natal development but also in adults in response to exercise, pregnancy, and a range of cardiovascular diseases. One of the most exciting recent developments in the field of cardiac biomechanics is the advent of computational models that are able to accurately predict patterns of heart growth in many of these settings, particularly in cases where changes in mechanical loading of the heart play an import role. These emerging models may soon be capable of making patient-specific growth predictions that can be used to guide clinical interventions. Here, we review the history and current state of cardiac growth models and highlight three main limitations of current approaches with regard to future clinical application: their inability to predict the regression of heart growth after removal of a mechanical overload, inability to account for evolving hemodynamics, and inability to incorporate known growth effects of drugs and hormones on heart growth. Next, we outline growth mechanics approaches used in other fields of biomechanics and highlight some potential lessons for cardiac growth modeling. Finally, we propose a multiscale modeling approach for future studies that blends tissue-level growth models with cell-level signaling models to incorporate the effects of hormones in the context of pregnancy-induced heart growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Yoshida
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Box 800759, Health System, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - Jeffrey W Holmes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Box 800759, Health System, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
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Niestrawska JA, Augustin CM, Plank G. Computational modeling of cardiac growth and remodeling in pressure overloaded hearts-Linking microstructure to organ phenotype. Acta Biomater 2020; 106:34-53. [PMID: 32058078 PMCID: PMC7311197 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac growth and remodeling (G&R) refers to structural changes in myocardial tissue in response to chronic alterations in loading conditions. One such condition is pressure overload where elevated wall stresses stimulate the growth in cardiomyocyte thickness, associated with a phenotype of concentric hypertrophy at the organ scale, and promote fibrosis. The initial hypertrophic response can be considered adaptive and beneficial by favoring myocyte survival, but over time if pressure overload conditions persist, maladaptive mechanisms favoring cell death and fibrosis start to dominate, ultimately mediating the transition towards an overt heart failure phenotype. The underlying mechanisms linking biological factors at the myocyte level to biomechanical factors at the systemic and organ level remain poorly understood. Computational models of G&R show high promise as a unique framework for providing a quantitative link between myocardial stresses and strains at the organ scale to biological regulatory processes at the cellular level which govern the hypertrophic response. However, microstructurally motivated, rigorously validated computational models of G&R are still in their infancy. This article provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art of computational models to study cardiac G&R. The microstructure and mechanosensing/mechanotransduction within cells of the myocardium is discussed and quantitative data from previous experimental and clinical studies is summarized. We conclude with a discussion of major challenges and possible directions of future research that can advance the current state of cardiac G&R computational modeling. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The mechanistic links between organ-scale biomechanics and biological factors at the cellular size scale remain poorly understood as these are largely elusive to investigations using experimental methodology alone. Computational G&R models show high promise to establish quantitative links which allow more mechanistic insight into adaptation mechanisms and may be used as a tool for stratifying the state and predict the progression of disease in the clinic. This review provides a comprehensive overview of research in this domain including a summary of experimental data. Thus, this study may serve as a basis for the further development of more advanced G&R models which are suitable for making clinical predictions on disease progression or for testing hypotheses on pathogenic mechanisms using in-silico models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna A Niestrawska
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center: Division of Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Christoph M Augustin
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center: Division of Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria.
| | - Gernot Plank
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center: Division of Biophysics, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Austria
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