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Kieda J, Shakeri A, Landau S, Wang EY, Zhao Y, Lai BF, Okhovatian S, Wang Y, Jiang R, Radisic M. Advances in cardiac tissue engineering and heart-on-a-chip. J Biomed Mater Res A 2024; 112:492-511. [PMID: 37909362 PMCID: PMC11213712 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in both cardiac tissue engineering and hearts-on-a-chip are grounded in new biomaterial development as well as the employment of innovative fabrication techniques that enable precise control of the mechanical, electrical, and structural properties of the cardiac tissues being modelled. The elongated structure of cardiomyocytes requires tuning of substrate properties and application of biophysical stimuli to drive its mature phenotype. Landmark advances have already been achieved with induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac patches that advanced to human testing. Heart-on-a-chip platforms are now commonly used by a number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Here, we provide an overview of cardiac physiology in order to better define the requirements for functional tissue recapitulation. We then discuss the biomaterials most commonly used in both cardiac tissue engineering and heart-on-a-chip, followed by the discussion of recent representative studies in both fields. We outline significant challenges common to both fields, specifically: scalable tissue fabrication and platform standardization, improving cellular fidelity through effective tissue vascularization, achieving adult tissue maturation, and ultimately developing cryopreservation protocols so that the tissues are available off the shelf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kieda
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amid Shakeri
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shira Landau
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erika Yan Wang
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yimu Zhao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Fook Lai
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sargol Okhovatian
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ying Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Jiang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Tsuji Y, Ogata T, Mochizuki K, Tamura S, Morishita Y, Takamatsu T, Matoba S, Tanaka H. Myofibroblasts impair myocardial impulse propagation by heterocellular connexin43 gap-junctional coupling through micropores. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1352911. [PMID: 38465264 PMCID: PMC10920281 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1352911] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: Composite population of myofibroblasts (MFs) within myocardial tissue is known to alter impulse propagation, leading to arrhythmias. However, it remains unclear whether and how MFs alter their propagation patterns when contacting cardiomyocytes (CMs) without complex structural insertions in the myocardium. We attempted to unveil the effects of the one-sided, heterocellular CM-MF connection on the impulse propagation of CM monolayers without the spatial insertion of MFs as an electrical or mechanical obstacle. Methods and results: We evaluated fluo8-based spatiotemporal patterns in impulse propagation of neonatal rat CM monolayers cultured on the microporous membrane having 8-μm diameter pores with co-culture of MFs or CMs on the reverse membrane side (CM-MF model or CM-CM model, respectively). During consecutive pacing at 1 or 2 Hz, the CM monolayers exhibited forward impulse propagation from the pacing site with a slower conduction velocity (θ) and a larger coefficient of directional θ variation in the CM-MF model than that in the CM-CM model in a frequency-dependent manner (2 Hz >1 Hz). The localized placement of an MF cluster on the reverse side resulted in an abrupt segmental depression of the impulse propagation of the upper CM layer, causing a spatiotemporally non-uniform pattern. Dye transfer of the calcein loaded in the upper CM layer to the lower MF layer was attenuated by the gap-junction inhibitor heptanol. Immunocytochemistry identified definitive connexin 43 (Cx43) between the CMs and MFs in the membrane pores. MF-selective Cx43 knockdown in the MF layer improved both the velocity and uniformity of propagation in the CM monolayer. Conclusion: Heterocellular Cx43 gap junction coupling of CMs with MFs alters the spatiotemporal patterns of myocardial impulse propagation, even in the absence of spatially interjacent and mechanosensitive modulations by MFs. Moreover, MFs can promote pro-arrhythmogenic impulse propagation when in face-to-face contact with the myocardium that arises in the healing infarct border zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumika Tsuji
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takehiro Ogata
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kentaro Mochizuki
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shoko Tamura
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuma Morishita
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Takamatsu
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Medical Photonics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoaki Matoba
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hideo Tanaka
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation and, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Kyoto, Japan
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3
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Mitrokhin V, Bilichenko A, Kazanski V, Schobik R, Shileiko S, Revkova V, Kalsin V, Kamkina O, Kamkin A, Mladenov M. Transcriptomic profile of the mechanosensitive ion channelome in human cardiac fibroblasts. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2023; 248:2341-2350. [PMID: 38158807 PMCID: PMC10903254 DOI: 10.1177/15353702231218488] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) have mRNA transcripts that encode different mechanosensitive ion channels and channel regulatory proteins whose functions are not known yet. The primary goal of this work was to define the mechanosensitive ion channelome of HCFs. The most common type of cationic channel is the transient receptor potential (TRP) family, which is followed by the TWIK-related K+ channel (TREK), transmembrane protein 63 (TMEM63), and PIEZO channel (PIEZO) families. In the sodium-dependent NON-voltage-gated channel (SCNN) subfamily, only SCNN1D was shown to be highly expressed. Particular members of the acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) (ASIC1 and ASIC3) subfamilies were also significantly expressed. The transcripts per kilobase million (TPMs) for Piezo 2 were almost 100 times less abundant than those for Piezo 1. The tandem of P domains in a weak inward rectifying K+ channel (TWIK)-2 channel, TWIK-related acid-sensitive K+ channel (TASK)-5, TASK-1, and the TWIK-related K1 (TREK-1) channel were the four most prevalent types in the K2P subfamily. The highest expression in the TRPP subfamily was found for PKD2 and PKD1, while in the TRPM subfamily, it was found for TRPM4, TRPM7, and TRPM3. TRPV2, TRPV4, TRPV3, and TRPV6 (all members of the TRPV subfamily) were also substantially expressed. A strong expression of the TRPC1, TRPC4, TRPC6, and TRPC2 channels and all members of the TRPML subfamily (MCOLN1, MCOLN2, and MCOLN3) was also shown. In terms of the transmembrane protein 16 (TMEM16) family, the HCFs demonstrated significant expression of the TMEM16H, TMEM16F, TMEM16J, TMEM16A, and TMEM16G channels. TMC3 is the most expressed channel in HCFs of all known members of the transmembrane channel-like protein (TMC) family. This analysis of the mechanosensitive ionic channel transcriptome in HCFs: (1) agrees with previously documented findings that all currently identified mechanosensitive channels play a significant and well recognized physiological function in elucidating the mechanosensitive characteristics of HCFs; (2) supports earlier preliminary reports that point to the most common expression of the TRP mechanosensitive family in HCFs; and (3) points to other new mechanosensitive channels (TRPC1, TRPC2, TWIK-2, TMEM16A, ASIC1, and ASIC3).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Mitrokhin
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Andrei Bilichenko
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Viktor Kazanski
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Roman Schobik
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Stanislav Shileiko
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Veronika Revkova
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Vladimir Kalsin
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Olga Kamkina
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Andre Kamkin
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Mitko Mladenov
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
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Billur D, Olgar Y, Durak A, Yozgat AH, Unay S, Tuncay E, Turan B. An increase in intercellular crosstalk and electrotonic coupling between cardiomyocytes and nonmyocytes reshapes the electrical conduction in the metabolic heart characterized by short QT intervals in ECGs. Cell Biochem Funct 2023; 41:1526-1542. [PMID: 38014767 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac conduction abnormalities are disorders in metabolic syndrome (MetS), however, their mechanisms are unknown. Although ventricular arrhythmia reflects the changes in QT-interval of electrocardiograms associated with the changes in cardiomyocyte action potential durations (APDs), recent studies emphasize role of intercellular crosstalk between cardiomyocytes and nonmyocytes via passive (electrotonic)-conduction. Therefore, considering the possible increase in intercellular interactions of nonmyocytes with cardiomyocytes, we hypothesized an early-cardiac-remodeling characterized by short QT-interval via contributions and modulations of changes by nonmyocytes to the ventricular APs in an early-stage MetS hearts. Following the feeding of 8-week-old rats with a high-sucrose diet (32%; MetS rats) and validation of insulin resistance, there was a significant increase in heart rate and changes in the electrical characteristics of the hearts, especially a shortening in action potential (AP) duration of the papillary muscles. The patch-clamp analysis of ventricular cardiomyocytes showed an increase in the Na+ -channel currents while there were decreases in l-type Ca2+ -channel (LTCC) currents with unchanged K+ -channel currents. There was an increase in the phosphorylated form of connexin 43 (pCx43), mostly with lateral localization on sarcolemma, while its unphosphorylated form (Cx43) exhibited a high degree of localization within intercalated discs. A high-level positively-stained α-SMA and CD68 cells were prominently localized and distributed in interfibrillar spaces of the heart, implying the possible contributions of myofibroblasts and macrophages to both shortened APDs and abnormal electrical conduction in MetS hearts. Our data propose a previously unrecognized pathway for SQT induction in the heart. This pathway includes not only the contribution of short ventricular-APDs via ionic mechanisms but also increasing contributions of the electrotonic-cardiomyocyte depolarization, spontaneous electrical activity-associated fast heterogeneous impulse conduction in the heart via increased interactions and relocations between cardiomyocytes and nonmyocytes, which may be an explanation for the development of an SQT in early-cardiac-remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Billur
- Departments of Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Yusuf Olgar
- Departments of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Aysegul Durak
- Departments of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Ayse Hande Yozgat
- Departments of Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Simge Unay
- Departments of Biophysics, Lokman Hekim University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Erkan Tuncay
- Departments of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Belma Turan
- Departments of Biophysics, Lokman Hekim University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye
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Song Q, Alvarez-Laviada A, Schrup SE, Reilly-O'Donnell B, Entcheva E, Gorelik J. Opto-SICM framework combines optogenetics with scanning ion conductance microscopy for probing cell-to-cell contacts. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1131. [PMID: 37938652 PMCID: PMC10632396 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05509-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a novel framework, Opto-SICM, for studies of cellular interactions in live cells with high spatiotemporal resolution. The approach combines scanning ion conductance microscopy, SICM, and cell-type-specific optogenetic interrogation. Light-excitable cardiac fibroblasts (FB) and myofibroblasts (myoFB) were plated together with non-modified cardiomyocytes (CM) and then paced with periodic illumination. Opto-SICM reveals the extent of FB/myoFB-CM cell-cell contacts and the dynamic changes over time not visible by optical microscopy. FB-CM pairs have lower gap junctional expression of connexin-43 and higher contact dynamism compared to myoFB-CM pairs. The responsiveness of CM to pacing via FB/myoFB depends on the dynamics of the contact but not on the area. The non-responding pairs have higher net cell-cell movement at the contact. These findings are relevant to cardiac disease states, where adverse remodeling leads to abnormal electrical excitation of CM. The Opto-SICM framework can be deployed to offer new insights on cellular and subcellular interactions in various cell types, in real-time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Song
- Imperial College London, Du Cane road, W12 0NN, London, UK
| | | | - Sarah E Schrup
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Emilia Entcheva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Julia Gorelik
- Imperial College London, Du Cane road, W12 0NN, London, UK.
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6
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Abstract
Fibroblasts in scar tissue elicit myocyte excitation and promote arrhythmia in mouse hearts.
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7
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Johnson RD, Lei M, McVey JH, Camelliti P. Human myofibroblasts increase the arrhythmogenic potential of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:276. [PMID: 37668685 PMCID: PMC10480244 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04924-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have the potential to remuscularize infarcted hearts but their arrhythmogenicity remains an obstacle to safe transplantation. Myofibroblasts are the predominant cell-type in the infarcted myocardium but their impact on transplanted hiPSC-CMs remains poorly defined. Here, we investigate the effect of myofibroblasts on hiPSC-CMs electrophysiology and Ca2+ handling using optical mapping of advanced human cell coculture systems mimicking cell-cell interaction modalities. Human myofibroblasts altered the electrophysiology and Ca2+ handling of hiPSC-CMs and downregulated mRNAs encoding voltage channels (KV4.3, KV11.1 and Kir6.2) and SERCA2a calcium pump. Interleukin-6 was elevated in the presence of myofibroblasts and direct stimulation of hiPSC-CMs with exogenous interleukin-6 recapitulated the paracrine effects of myofibroblasts. Blocking interleukin-6 reduced the effects of myofibroblasts only in the absence of physical contact between cell-types. Myofibroblast-specific connexin43 knockdown reduced functional changes in contact cocultures only when combined with interleukin-6 blockade. This provides the first in-depth investigation into how human myofibroblasts modulate hiPSC-CMs function, identifying interleukin-6 and connexin43 as paracrine- and contact-mediators respectively, and highlighting their potential as targets for reducing arrhythmic risk in cardiac cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ming Lei
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John H McVey
- School of Biosciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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Simon-Chica A, Wülfers EM, Kohl P. Nonmyocytes as electrophysiological contributors to cardiac excitation and conduction. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 325:H475-H491. [PMID: 37417876 PMCID: PMC10538996 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00184.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Although cardiac action potential (AP) generation and propagation have traditionally been attributed exclusively to cardiomyocytes (CM), other cell types in the heart are also capable of forming electrically conducting junctions. Interactions between CM and nonmyocytes (NM) enable and modulate each other's activity. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of heterocellular electrical communication in the heart. Although cardiac fibroblasts were initially thought to be electrical insulators, recent studies have demonstrated that they form functional electrical connections with CM in situ. Other NM, such as macrophages, have also been recognized as contributing to cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. Novel experimental tools have enabled the investigation of cell-specific activity patterns in native cardiac tissue, which is expected to yield exciting new insights into the development of novel or improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Simon-Chica
- Novel Arrhythmogenic Mechanisms Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eike M Wülfers
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg-Bad Krozingen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Peter Kohl
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg-Bad Krozingen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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9
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Pun R, Kim MH, North BJ. Role of Connexin 43 phosphorylation on Serine-368 by PKC in cardiac function and disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 9:1080131. [PMID: 36712244 PMCID: PMC9877470 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1080131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Intercellular communication mediated by gap junction channels and hemichannels composed of Connexin 43 (Cx43) is vital for the propagation of electrical impulses through cardiomyocytes. The carboxyl terminal tail of Cx43 undergoes various post-translational modifications including phosphorylation of its Serine-368 (S368) residue. Protein Kinase C isozymes directly phosphorylate S368 to alter Cx43 function and stability through inducing conformational changes affecting channel permeability or promoting internalization and degradation to reduce intercellular communication between cardiomyocytes. Recent studies have implicated this PKC/Cx43-pS368 circuit in several cardiac-associated diseases. In this review, we describe the molecular and cellular basis of PKC-mediated Cx43 phosphorylation and discuss the implications of Cx43 S368 phosphorylation in the context of various cardiac diseases, such as cardiomyopathy, as well as the therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renju Pun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Michael H. Kim
- CHI Health Heart Institute, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Brian J. North
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States,*Correspondence: Brian J. North,
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Lin J, Abraham A, George SA, Greer-Short A, Blair GA, Moreno A, Alber BR, Kay MW, Poelzing S. Ephaptic Coupling Is a Mechanism of Conduction Reserve During Reduced Gap Junction Coupling. Front Physiol 2022; 13:848019. [PMID: 35600295 PMCID: PMC9117633 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.848019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cardiac pathologies are associated with reduced gap junction (GJ) coupling, an important modulator of cardiac conduction velocity (CV). However, the relationship between phenotype and functional expression of the connexin GJ family of proteins is controversial. For example, a 50% reduction of GJ coupling has been shown to have little impact on myocardial CV due to a concept known as conduction reserve. This can be explained by the ephaptic coupling (EpC) theory whereby conduction is maintained by a combination of low GJ coupling and increased electrical fields generated in the sodium channel rich clefts between neighboring myocytes. At the same time, low GJ coupling may also increase intracellular charge accumulation within myocytes, resulting in a faster transmembrane potential rate of change during depolarization (dV/dt_max) that maintains macroscopic conduction. To provide insight into the prevalence of these two phenomena during pathological conditions, we investigated the relationship between EpC and charge accumulation within the setting of GJ remodeling using multicellular simulations and companion perfused mouse heart experiments. Conduction along a fiber of myocardial cells was simulated for a range of GJ conditions. The model incorporated intercellular variations, including GJ coupling conductance and distribution, cell-to-cell separation in the intercalated disc (perinexal width—WP), and variations in sodium channel distribution. Perfused heart studies having conditions analogous to those of the simulations were performed using wild type mice and mice heterozygous null for the connexin gene Gja1. With insight from simulations, the relative contributions of EpC and charge accumulation on action potential parameters and conduction velocities were analyzed. Both simulation and experimental results support a common conclusion that low GJ coupling decreases and narrowing WP increases the rate of the AP upstroke when sodium channels are densely expressed at the ends of myocytes, indicating that conduction reserve is more dependent on EpC than charge accumulation during GJ uncoupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Lin
- Department of Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Joyce Lin, ; Steven Poelzing,
| | - Anand Abraham
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Sharon A. George
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Amara Greer-Short
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Grace A. Blair
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Angel Moreno
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Bridget R. Alber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Matthew W. Kay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Steven Poelzing
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
- Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: Joyce Lin, ; Steven Poelzing,
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11
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Connexin Mutations and Hereditary Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084255. [PMID: 35457072 PMCID: PMC9027513 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited diseases caused by connexin mutations are found in multiple organs and include hereditary deafness, congenital cataract, congenital heart diseases, hereditary skin diseases, and X-linked Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT1X). A large number of knockout and knock-in animal models have been used to study the pathology and pathogenesis of diseases of different organs. Because the structures of different connexins are highly homologous and the functions of gap junctions formed by these connexins are similar, connexin-related hereditary diseases may share the same pathogenic mechanism. Here, we analyze the similarities and differences of the pathology and pathogenesis in animal models and find that connexin mutations in gap junction genes expressed in the ear, eye, heart, skin, and peripheral nerves can affect cellular proliferation and differentiation of corresponding organs. Additionally, some dominant mutations (e.g., Cx43 p.Gly60Ser, Cx32 p.Arg75Trp, Cx32 p.Asn175Asp, and Cx32 p.Arg142Trp) are identified as gain-of-function variants in vivo, which may play a vital role in the onset of dominant inherited diseases. Specifically, patients with these dominant mutations receive no benefits from gene therapy. Finally, the complete loss of gap junctional function or altered channel function including permeability (ions, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), Ca2+, glucose, miRNA) and electric activity are also identified in vivo or in vitro.
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12
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Wang H, Pong T, Obafemi OO, Lucian HJ, Aparicio-Valenzuela J, Tran NA, Mullis DM, Elde S, Tada Y, Baker SW, Wang CY, Cyr KJ, Paulsen MJ, Zhu Y, Lee AM, Woo YJ. Electrophysiologic Conservation of Epicardial Conduction Dynamics After Myocardial Infarction and Natural Heart Regeneration in Newborn Piglets. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:829546. [PMID: 35355973 PMCID: PMC8959497 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.829546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Newborn mammals, including piglets, exhibit natural heart regeneration after myocardial infarction (MI) on postnatal day 1 (P1), but this ability is lost by postnatal day 7 (P7). The electrophysiologic properties of this naturally regenerated myocardium have not been examined. We hypothesized that epicardial conduction is preserved after P1 MI in piglets. Yorkshire-Landrace piglets underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation at age P1 (n = 6) or P7 (n = 7), After 7 weeks, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed with late gadolinium enhancement for analysis of fibrosis. Epicardial conduction mapping was performed using custom 3D-printed high-resolution mapping arrays. Age- and weight-matched healthy pigs served as controls (n = 6). At the study endpoint, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction was similar for controls and P1 pigs (46.4 ± 3.0% vs. 40.3 ± 4.9%, p = 0.132), but significantly depressed for P7 pigs (30.2 ± 6.6%, p < 0.001 vs. control). The percentage of LV myocardial volume consisting of fibrotic scar was 1.0 ± 0.4% in controls, 9.9 ± 4.4% in P1 pigs (p = 0.002 vs. control), and 17.3 ± 4.6% in P7 pigs (p < 0.001 vs. control, p = 0.007 vs. P1). Isochrone activation maps and apex activation time were similar between controls and P1 pigs (9.4 ± 1.6 vs. 7.8 ± 0.9 ms, p = 0.649), but significantly prolonged in P7 pigs (21.3 ± 5.1 ms, p < 0.001 vs. control, p < 0.001 vs. P1). Conduction velocity was similar between controls and P1 pigs (1.0 ± 0.2 vs. 1.1 ± 0.4 mm/ms, p = 0.852), but slower in P7 pigs (0.7 ± 0.2 mm/ms, p = 0.129 vs. control, p = 0.052 vs. P1). Overall, our data suggest that epicardial conduction dynamics are conserved in the setting of natural heart regeneration in piglets after P1 MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjay Wang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Terrence Pong
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | - Haley J. Lucian
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | - Nicholas A. Tran
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Danielle M. Mullis
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Stefan Elde
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Yuko Tada
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Sam W. Baker
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Caroline Y. Wang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Kevin J. Cyr
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Michael J. Paulsen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Yuanjia Zhu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Anson M. Lee
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Y. Joseph Woo
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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13
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Shi M, Bai L, Xu M, Li Z, Hu T, Hu J, Zhang Z, Yin Z, Guo B. Micropatterned conductive elastomer patch based on poly(glycerol sebacate)-graphene for cardiac tissue repair. Biofabrication 2022; 14. [PMID: 35235923 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac59f2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Preparing a micropatterned elastomer film with characteristics that can simulate the mechanical properties, anisotropy, and electroactivity of natural myocardial tissues is crucial in cardiac tissue engineering after myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, in this study, we developed several elastomeric films with a surface micropattern based on poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) and graphene (Gr). These films have sufficient mechanical strength (0.6 ± 0.1-3.2 ± 0.08 MPa) to withstand heartbeats, and the micropatterned structure also satisfies the natural myocardium anisotropy in the transverse and vertical. Moreover, Gr makes these films conductive (up to 5.80 × 10-7 S/m), which is necessary for the conduction of electrical signals between cardiomyocytes and the cardiac tissue. Furthermore, they have good cytocompatibility and can promote cell proliferation in H9c2 rat cardiomyocyte cell lines. In vivo test results indicate that these films have good biocompatibility. Notably, a film with 1 wt% Gr content (PGS-Gr1) significantly affects the recovery of myocardial function in rats after MI. This film effectively decreased the infarct size and degree of myocardial fibrosis and reduced collagen deposition. Echocardiographic evaluation showed that after treatment with this film, the left ventricular internal dimension in systole and left ventricular internal dimension in diastole of rats exhibited a significant downward trend, whereas the fractional shortening and ejection fraction were significantly increased compared with the control group. These data indicate that this electroactive micropatterned anisotropic elastomer film can be applied in cardiac tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengting Shi
- Xi'an Jiaotong University, 99 Yanxiang Road, Xi'an, 710049, CHINA
| | - Lang Bai
- Xi'an Jiaotong University, 99 Yanxiang Road, Xi'an, 710049, CHINA
| | - Meiguang Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 99 Yanxiang Road, Xi'an, 710061, CHINA
| | - Zhenlong Li
- Xi'an Jiaotong University, 99 Yanxiang Road, Xi'an, 710049, CHINA
| | - Tianli Hu
- Xi'an Jiaotong University, 99 Yanxiang Road, Xi'an, 710049, CHINA
| | - Juan Hu
- Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xiwu Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, CHINA
| | - Zixi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710061, CHINA
| | - Zhanhai Yin
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 99 Yanxiang Road, Xi'an, 710061, CHINA
| | - Baolin Guo
- Xi'an Jiaotong University, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710049, CHINA
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14
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Liu F, Wu H, Yang X, Dong Y, Huang G, Genin GM, Lu TJ, Xu F. A new model of myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte interactions and their differences across species. Biophys J 2021; 120:3764-3775. [PMID: 34280368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although coupling between cardiomyocytes and myofibroblasts is well known to affect the physiology and pathophysiology of cardiac tissues across species, relating these observations to humans is challenging because the effect of this coupling varies across species and because the sources of these effects are not known. To identify the sources of cross-species variation, we built upon previous mathematical models of myofibroblast electrophysiology and developed a mechanoelectrical model of cardiomyocyte-myofibroblast interactions as mediated by electrotonic coupling and transforming growth factor-β1. The model, as verified by experimental data from the literature, predicted that both electrotonic coupling and transforming growth factor-β1 interaction between myocytes and myofibroblast prolonged action potential in rat myocytes but shortened action potential in human myocytes. This variance could be explained by differences in the transient outward K+ current associated with differential Kv4.2 gene expression across species. Results are useful for efforts to extrapolate the results of animal models to the predicted effects in humans and point to potential therapeutic targets for fibrotic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, P.R. China
| | - Hou Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an, P.R. China
| | - Yuqin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, P.R. China
| | - Guoyou Huang
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Guy M Genin
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, P.R. China; Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, St. Louis, Missouri; NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tian Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, P.R. China.
| | - Feng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an, P.R. China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, P.R. China.
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15
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Martins-Marques T, Hausenloy DJ, Sluijter JPG, Leybaert L, Girao H. Intercellular Communication in the Heart: Therapeutic Opportunities for Cardiac Ischemia. Trends Mol Med 2021; 27:248-262. [PMID: 33139169 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of tissue, organ, and organism homeostasis relies on an intricate network of players and mechanisms that assist in the different forms of cell-cell communication. Myocardial infarction, following heart ischemia and reperfusion, is associated with profound changes in key processes of intercellular communication, involving gap junctions, extracellular vesicles, and tunneling nanotubes, some of which have been implicated in communication defects associated with cardiac injury, namely arrhythmogenesis and progression into heart failure. Therefore, intercellular communication players have emerged as attractive powerful therapeutic targets aimed at preserving a fine-tuned crosstalk between the different cardiac cells in order to prevent or repair some of harmful consequences of heart ischemia and reperfusion, re-establishing myocardial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Martins-Marques
- Univ Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; Univ Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Derek J Hausenloy
- Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore; National Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore, Singapore; The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, University College London, London, UK; Cardiovascular Research Center, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Asia University, Taiwan
| | - Joost P G Sluijter
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, UMC Utrecht Regenerative Medicine Center, Circulatory Health Laboratory, University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Leybaert
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Henrique Girao
- Univ Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; Univ Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.
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16
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Zhao Y, Iyer S, Tavanaei M, Nguyen NT, Lin A, Nguyen TP. Proarrhythmic Electrical Remodeling by Noncardiomyocytes at Interfaces With Cardiomyocytes Under Oxidative Stress. Front Physiol 2021; 11:622613. [PMID: 33603677 PMCID: PMC7884825 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.622613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, typically arising from interfaces between fibrosis and surviving cardiomyocytes, are feared sequelae of structurally remodeled hearts under oxidative stress. Incomplete understanding of the proarrhythmic electrical remodeling by fibrosis limits the development of novel antiarrhythmic strategies. To define the mechanistic determinants of the proarrhythmia in electrical crosstalk between cardiomyocytes and noncardiomyocytes, we developed a novel in vitro model of interface between neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) and controls [NRVMs or connexin43 (Cx43)-deficient HeLa cells] vs. Cx43+ noncardiomyocytes [aged rat ventricular myofibroblasts (ARVFs) or HeLaCx43 cells]. We performed high-speed voltage-sensitive optical imaging at baseline and following acute H2O2 exposure. In NRVM-NRVM and NRVM-HeLa controls, no arrhythmias occurred under either experimental condition. In the NRVM-ARVF and NRVM-HeLaCx43 groups, Cx43+ noncardiomyocytes enabled passive decremental propagation of electrical impulses and impaired NRVM activation and repolarization, thereby slowing conduction and prolonging action potential duration. Following H2O2 exposure, arrhythmia triggers, automaticity, and non-reentrant and reentrant arrhythmias emerged. This study reveals that myofibroblasts (which generate cardiac fibrosis) and other noncardiomyocytes can induce not only structural remodeling but also electrical remodeling and that electrical remodeling by noncardiomyocytes can be particularly arrhythmogenic in the presence of an oxidative burst. Synergistic electrical remodeling between H2O2 and noncardiomyocytes may account for the clinical arrhythmogenicity of myofibroblasts at fibrotic interfaces with cardiomyocytes in ischemic/non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. Understanding the enhanced arrhythmogenicity of synergistic electrical remodeling by H2O2 and noncardiomyocytes may guide novel safe-by-design antiarrhythmic strategies for next-generation iatrogenic interfaces between surviving native cardiomyocytes and exogenous stem cells or engineered tissues in cardiac regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Zhao
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shankar Iyer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maryam Tavanaei
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nicole T Nguyen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Andrew Lin
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Thao P Nguyen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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17
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Dufeys C, Daskalopoulos EP, Castanares-Zapatero D, Conway SJ, Ginion A, Bouzin C, Ambroise J, Bearzatto B, Gala JL, Heymans S, Papageorgiou AP, Vinckier S, Cumps J, Balligand JL, Vanhaverbeke M, Sinnaeve P, Janssens S, Bertrand L, Beauloye C, Horman S. AMPKα1 deletion in myofibroblasts exacerbates post-myocardial infarction fibrosis by a connexin 43 mechanism. Basic Res Cardiol 2021; 116:10. [PMID: 33564961 PMCID: PMC7873123 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-021-00846-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that systemic AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1) invalidation enhanced adverse LV remodelling by increasing fibroblast proliferation, while myodifferentiation and scar maturation were impaired. We thus hypothesised that fibroblastic AMPKα1 was a key signalling element in regulating fibrosis in the infarcted myocardium and an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. The present study investigates the effects of myofibroblast (MF)-specific deletion of AMPKα1 on left ventricular (LV) adaptation following myocardial infarction (MI), and the underlying molecular mechanisms. MF-restricted AMPKα1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice were subjected to permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. cKO hearts exhibit exacerbated post-MI adverse LV remodelling and are characterised by exaggerated fibrotic response, compared to wild-type (WT) hearts. Cardiac fibroblast proliferation and MF content significantly increase in cKO infarcted hearts, coincident with a significant reduction of connexin 43 (Cx43) expression in MFs. Mechanistically, AMPKα1 influences Cx43 expression by both a transcriptional and a post-transcriptional mechanism involving miR-125b-5p. Collectively, our data demonstrate that MF-AMPKα1 functions as a master regulator of cardiac fibrosis and remodelling and might constitute a novel potential target for pharmacological anti-fibrotic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Dufeys
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Evangelos-Panagiotis Daskalopoulos
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Diego Castanares-Zapatero
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon J Conway
- HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Audrey Ginion
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Caroline Bouzin
- IREC Imaging Platform, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Ambroise
- Centre de Technologies Moléculaires Appliquées, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCL, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bertrand Bearzatto
- Centre de Technologies Moléculaires Appliquées, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCL, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Luc Gala
- Centre de Technologies Moléculaires Appliquées, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCL, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stephane Heymans
- Center for Heart Failure Research, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna-Pia Papageorgiou
- Center for Heart Failure Research, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Stefan Vinckier
- Center for Cancer Biology, University of Leuven and VIB, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Julien Cumps
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Luc Balligand
- Pôle de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maarten Vanhaverbeke
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Leuven University Hospitals, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Peter Sinnaeve
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Leuven University Hospitals, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Stefan Janssens
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Leuven University Hospitals, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Luc Bertrand
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christophe Beauloye
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Division of Cardiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Horman
- Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire (CARD), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 55, Avenue Hippocrate, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
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18
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Burke RM, Burgos Villar KN, Small EM. Fibroblast contributions to ischemic cardiac remodeling. Cell Signal 2021; 77:109824. [PMID: 33144186 PMCID: PMC7718345 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The heart can respond to increased pathophysiological demand through alterations in tissue structure and function 1 . This process, called cardiac remodeling, is particularly evident following myocardial infarction (MI), where the blockage of a coronary artery leads to widespread death of cardiac muscle. Following MI, necrotic tissue is replaced with extracellular matrix (ECM), and the remaining viable cardiomyocytes (CMs) undergo hypertrophic growth. ECM deposition and cardiac hypertrophy are thought to represent an adaptive response to increase structural integrity and prevent cardiac rupture. However, sustained ECM deposition leads to the formation of a fibrotic scar that impedes cardiac compliance and can induce lethal arrhythmias. Resident cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are considered the primary source of ECM molecules such as collagens and fibronectin, particularly after becoming activated by pathologic signals. CFs contribute to multiple phases of post-MI heart repair and remodeling, including the initial response to CM death, immune cell (IC) recruitment, and fibrotic scar formation. The goal of this review is to describe how resident fibroblasts contribute to the healing and remodeling that occurs after MI, with an emphasis on how fibroblasts communicate with other cell types in the healing infarct scar 1 –6 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Burke
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States of America
| | - Kimberly N Burgos Villar
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Eric M Small
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, United States of America.
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19
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Andelova K, Egan Benova T, Szeiffova Bacova B, Sykora M, Prado NJ, Diez ER, Hlivak P, Tribulova N. Cardiac Connexin-43 Hemichannels and Pannexin1 Channels: Provocative Antiarrhythmic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010260. [PMID: 33383853 PMCID: PMC7795512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac connexin-43 (Cx43) creates gap junction channels (GJCs) at intercellular contacts and hemi-channels (HCs) at the peri-junctional plasma membrane and sarcolemmal caveolae/rafts compartments. GJCs are fundamental for the direct cardiac cell-to-cell transmission of electrical and molecular signals which ensures synchronous myocardial contraction. The HCs and structurally similar pannexin1 (Panx1) channels are active in stressful conditions. These channels are essential for paracrine and autocrine communication through the release of ions and signaling molecules to the extracellular environment, or for uptake from it. The HCs and Panx1 channel-opening profoundly affects intracellular ionic homeostasis and redox status and facilitates via purinergic signaling pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic processes. These conditions promote cardiac arrhythmogenesis due to the impairment of the GJCs and selective ion channel function. Crosstalk between GJCs and HCs/Panx1 channels could be crucial in the development of arrhythmogenic substrates, including fibrosis. Despite the knowledge gap in the regulation of these channels, current evidence indicates that HCs and Panx1 channel activation can enhance the risk of cardiac arrhythmias. It is extremely challenging to target HCs and Panx1 channels by inhibitory agents to hamper development of cardiac rhythm disorders. Progress in this field may contribute to novel therapeutic approaches for patients prone to develop atrial or ventricular fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Andelova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (T.E.B.); (B.S.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Tamara Egan Benova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (T.E.B.); (B.S.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Barbara Szeiffova Bacova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (T.E.B.); (B.S.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Matus Sykora
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (T.E.B.); (B.S.B.); (M.S.)
| | - Natalia Jorgelina Prado
- Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, M5500 Mendoza, Argentina; (N.J.P.); (E.R.D.)
| | - Emiliano Raul Diez
- Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, M5500 Mendoza, Argentina; (N.J.P.); (E.R.D.)
| | - Peter Hlivak
- Department of Arrhythmias and Pacing, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Pod Krásnou Hôrkou 1, 83348 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Narcis Tribulova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (T.E.B.); (B.S.B.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +421-2-32295-423
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20
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Oliver-Gelabert A, García-Mendívil L, Vallejo-Gil JM, Fresneda-Roldán PC, Andelová K, Fañanás-Mastral J, Vázquez-Sancho M, Matamala-Adell M, Sorribas-Berjón F, Ballester-Cuenca C, Tribulova N, Ordovás L, Raúl Diez E, Pueyo E. Automatic Quantification of Cardiomyocyte Dimensions and Connexin 43 Lateralization in Fluorescence Images. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1334. [PMID: 32957719 PMCID: PMC7565961 DOI: 10.3390/biom10091334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes' geometry and connexin 43 (CX43) amount and distribution are structural features that play a pivotal role in electrical conduction. Their quantitative assessment is of high interest in the study of arrhythmias, but it is usually hampered by the lack of automatic tools. In this work, we propose a software algorithm (Myocyte Automatic Retrieval and Tissue Analyzer, MARTA) to automatically detect myocytes from fluorescent microscopy images of cardiac tissue, measure their morphological features and evaluate the expression of CX43 and its degree of lateralization. The proposed software is based on the generation of cell masks, contouring of individual cells, enclosing of cells in minimum area rectangles and splitting of these rectangles into end-to-end and middle compartments to estimate CX43 lateral-to-total ratio. Application to human ventricular tissue images shows that mean differences between automatic and manual methods in terms of cardiomyocyte length and width are below 4 μm. The percentage of lateral CX43 also agrees between automatic and manual evaluation, with the interquartile range approximately covering from 3% to 30% in both cases. MARTA is not limited by fiber orientation and has an optimized speed by using contour filtering, which makes it run hundreds of times faster than a trained expert. Developed for CX43 studies in the left ventricle, MARTA is a flexible tool applicable to morphometric and lateralization studies of other markers in any heart chamber or even skeletal muscle. This open-access software is available online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Oliver-Gelabert
- Biomedical Signal Interpretation and Computational Simulation (BSICoS), Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza & Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.-G.); (L.G.-M.); (L.O.)
| | - Laura García-Mendívil
- Biomedical Signal Interpretation and Computational Simulation (BSICoS), Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza & Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.-G.); (L.G.-M.); (L.O.)
| | - José María Vallejo-Gil
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Pedro Carlos Fresneda-Roldán
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Katarína Andelová
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, SAS, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (N.T.)
| | - Javier Fañanás-Mastral
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Manuel Vázquez-Sancho
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Marta Matamala-Adell
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Fernando Sorribas-Berjón
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Carlos Ballester-Cuenca
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Miguel Servet, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (J.M.V.-G.); (P.C.F.-R.); (J.F.-M.); (M.V.-S.); (M.M.-A.); (F.S.-B.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Narcisa Tribulova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, SAS, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia; (K.A.); (N.T.)
| | - Laura Ordovás
- Biomedical Signal Interpretation and Computational Simulation (BSICoS), Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza & Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.-G.); (L.G.-M.); (L.O.)
- Aragon Agency for Research and Development (ARAID), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Emiliano Raúl Diez
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Biology of Cuyo (IMBECU), CONICET, 855 5500 Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Esther Pueyo
- Biomedical Signal Interpretation and Computational Simulation (BSICoS), Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza & Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.-G.); (L.G.-M.); (L.O.)
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
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21
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Wang Y, Wang Y, Li F, Zhang X, Li H, Yang G, Xu C, Wei C. Spermine Protects Cardiomyocytes from High Glucose-Induced Energy Disturbance by Targeting the CaSR-gp78-Ubiquitin Proteasome System. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2020; 35:73-85. [PMID: 32918657 DOI: 10.1007/s10557-020-07064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the mediation of spermine on energy metabolism disorder and diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) development as well as the underlying mechanisms. METHODS An in vitro model of DCM was established by incubating primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with high glucose (HG). Spermine content was assessed by RP-HPLC. The protein levels were detected by western blot. Mitochondrial functions were analyzed using the respiratory chain complex assay kit and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS The endogenous content of spermine was decreased in the HG group, and the protein levels of ornithine decarboxylase, respiratory chain complex (I-V), mitochondrial fusion-related protein (Mfn1, Mfn2), Cx43, N-cadherin, CaSR, and β-catenin (in cytomembrane) were also down-regulated by HG. In contrast, the protein levels of spermine-N1-acetyltransferase, gp78, Fis1, Drp1, and β-catenin were up-regulated by HG. Meanwhile, we observed that HG increased ubiquitination levels of Mfn1, Mfn2, and Cx43, decreased membrane potential (ΔΨm), and the opening of mitochondrial permeability transport pore (mPTP) followed by intracellular ATP leakage. The supplement of spermine or siRNA-mediated knockdown of gp78 significantly alleviated the detrimental effects of HG, while downregulation of CaSR aggravated the development of DCM. We further confirmed that the lower level of spermine by HG activates the gp78-ubiquitin-proteasome pathway via downregulation of CaSR protein level, which in turn damages mitochondrial gap junction intercellular communication and leads to reduced ATP level. CONCLUSION The protective role of spermine on energy metabolism disorder is based on higher CaSR protein level and lower gp78 activation, pointing to the possibility that spermine can be a target for the prevention and treatment of DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehong Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Yuwen Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Fadong Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Xinying Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Hongzhu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Guangdong Yang
- Departemnt of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University, Sudbury, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Changqing Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Can Wei
- Department of Pathophysiology, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, China.
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22
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Giacomelli E, Meraviglia V, Campostrini G, Cochrane A, Cao X, van Helden RWJ, Krotenberg Garcia A, Mircea M, Kostidis S, Davis RP, van Meer BJ, Jost CR, Koster AJ, Mei H, Míguez DG, Mulder AA, Ledesma-Terrón M, Pompilio G, Sala L, Salvatori DCF, Slieker RC, Sommariva E, de Vries AAF, Giera M, Semrau S, Tertoolen LGJ, Orlova VV, Bellin M, Mummery CL. Human-iPSC-Derived Cardiac Stromal Cells Enhance Maturation in 3D Cardiac Microtissues and Reveal Non-cardiomyocyte Contributions to Heart Disease. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 26:862-879.e11. [PMID: 32459996 PMCID: PMC7284308 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes (CMs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are functionally immature, but this is improved by incorporation into engineered tissues or forced contraction. Here, we showed that tri-cellular combinations of hiPSC-derived CMs, cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), and cardiac endothelial cells also enhance maturation in easily constructed, scaffold-free, three-dimensional microtissues (MTs). hiPSC-CMs in MTs with CFs showed improved sarcomeric structures with T-tubules, enhanced contractility, and mitochondrial respiration and were electrophysiologically more mature than MTs without CFs. Interactions mediating maturation included coupling between hiPSC-CMs and CFs through connexin 43 (CX43) gap junctions and increased intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP). Scaled production of thousands of hiPSC-MTs was highly reproducible across lines and differentiated cell batches. MTs containing healthy-control hiPSC-CMs but hiPSC-CFs from patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy strikingly recapitulated features of the disease. Our MT model is thus a simple and versatile platform for modeling multicellular cardiac diseases that will facilitate industry and academic engagement in high-throughput molecular screening. Cardiac fibroblasts and endothelial cells induce hiPSC-cardiomyocyte maturation CX43 gap junctions form between cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes cAMP-pathway activation contributes to hiPSC-cardiomyocyte maturation Patient-derived hiPSC-cardiac fibroblasts cause arrhythmia in microtissues
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Giacomelli
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Viviana Meraviglia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Giulia Campostrini
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Amy Cochrane
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Xu Cao
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben W J van Helden
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ana Krotenberg Garcia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Mircea
- Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sarantos Kostidis
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Richard P Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Berend J van Meer
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Carolina R Jost
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Abraham J Koster
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hailiang Mei
- Sequencing Analysis Support Core, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - David G Míguez
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolas Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aat A Mulder
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mario Ledesma-Terrón
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolas Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Giulio Pompilio
- Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine Unit, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Sala
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Daniela C F Salvatori
- Central Laboratory Animal Facility, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Roderick C Slieker
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, VU University Medical Center, 1007 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Sommariva
- Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine Unit, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
| | - Antoine A F de Vries
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Giera
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Semrau
- Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Leon G J Tertoolen
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Valeria V Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy; Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, 35129 Padua, Italy.
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, 7500 Enschede, the Netherlands.
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23
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Connexin43 expression in bone marrow derived cells contributes to the electrophysiological properties of cardiac scar tissue. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2617. [PMID: 32054938 PMCID: PMC7018966 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59449-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac pathologies associated with arrhythmic activity are often accompanied by inflammation. The contribution of inflammatory cells to the electrophysiological properties of injured myocardium is unknown. Myocardial scar cell types and intercellular contacts were analyzed using a three-dimensional reconstruction from serial blockface scanning electron microscopy data. Three distinct cell populations were identified: inflammatory, fibroblastic and endocardial cells. While individual fibroblastic cells interface with a greater number of cells, inflammatory cells have the largest contact area suggesting a role in establishing intercellular electrical connections in scar tissue. Optical mapping was used to study the electrophysiological properties of scars in fetal liver chimeric mice generated using connexin43 knockout donors (bmpKO). Voltage changes were elicited in response to applied current pulses. Isopotential maps showed a steeper pattern of decay with distance from the electrode in scars compared with uninjured regions, suggesting reduced electrical coupling. The tissue decay constant, defined as the distance voltage reaches 37% of the amplitude at the edge of the scar, was 0.48 ± 0.04 mm (n = 11) in the scar of the bmpCTL group and decreased 37.5% in the bmpKO group (n = 10). Together these data demonstrate inflammatory cells significantly contribute to scar electrophysiology through coupling mediated at least partially by connexin43 expression.
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24
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Biendarra-Tiegs SM, Clemens DJ, Secreto FJ, Nelson TJ. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Non-Cardiomyocytes Modulate Cardiac Electrophysiological Maturation Through Connexin 43-Mediated Cell-Cell Interactions. Stem Cells Dev 2019; 29:75-89. [PMID: 31744402 PMCID: PMC6978788 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional maturation status of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) has a notable impact upon their use in pharmacological studies, disease modeling, and therapeutic applications. Non-cardiomyocytes (non-CMs) produced in the differentiation process have previously been identified as having an extrinsic influence upon hiPSC-CM development, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Herein, we aimed to modulate electrophysiological properties of hiPSC-CMs within co-cultures containing varied proportions of non-CMs and investigate the nature of interactions between these different cell types. Therefore, we sorted cardiac differentiations on day 10 and subsequently replated the cells at ratios of 7:3, 1:1, 3:7, and 1:9 non-CMs to CMs. After a month of co-culture, we evaluated electrophysiological properties through the genetically encoded voltage indicator ArcLight. We ultimately identified that co-cultures with approximately 70%–90% CM purity demonstrated the highest action potential (AP) amplitude and maximum upstroke velocity by day 40 of differentiation, indicative of enhanced electrophysiological maturation, as well as more ventricular-like AP morphologies. Notably, these findings were distinct from those observed for co-cultures of hiPSC-CMs and dermal fibroblasts. We determined that the co-culture phenotypes could not be attributed to paracrine effects of non-CMs due to the inability of conditioned media to recapitulate the observed effects. This led to the further observation of a distinctive expression pattern of connexin 43 (Cx43) at cell-cell interfaces between both CMs and non-CMs. Depletion of Cx43 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) specifically in the non-CM population within a co-culture environment was able to recapitulate electrophysiological phenotypes of a purer hiPSC-CM population. Collectively, our data demonstrate that abundant non-CM content exerts a significant negative influence upon the electrophysiological maturation of hiPSC-CMs through Cx43-mediated cell-cell-contacts, and thus should be considered regarding the future production of purpose-built hiPSC-CM systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri M Biendarra-Tiegs
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Center for Regenerative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Daniel J Clemens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Frank J Secreto
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Timothy J Nelson
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Center for Regenerative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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25
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Schultz F, Swiatlowska P, Alvarez-Laviada A, Sanchez-Alonso JL, Song Q, de Vries AAF, Pijnappels DA, Ongstad E, Braga VMM, Entcheva E, Gourdie RG, Miragoli M, Gorelik J. Cardiomyocyte-myofibroblast contact dynamism is modulated by connexin-43. FASEB J 2019; 33:10453-10468. [PMID: 31253057 PMCID: PMC6704460 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201802740rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Healthy cardiomyocytes are electrically coupled at the intercalated discs by gap junctions. In infarcted hearts, adverse gap-junctional remodeling occurs in the border zone, where cardiomyocytes are chemically and electrically influenced by myofibroblasts. The physical movement of these contacts remains unquantified. Using scanning ion conductance microscopy, we show that intercellular contacts between cardiomyocytes and myofibroblasts are highly dynamic, mainly owing to the edge dynamics (lamellipodia) of the myofibroblasts. Decreasing the amount of functional connexin-43 (Cx43) at the membrane through Cx43 silencing, suppression of Cx43 trafficking, or hypoxia-induced Cx43 internalization attenuates heterocellular contact dynamism. However, we found decreased dynamism and stabilized membrane contacts when cellular coupling was strengthened using 4-phenylbutyrate (4PB). Fluorescent-dye transfer between cells showed that the extent of functional coupling between the 2 cell types correlated with contact dynamism. Intercellular calcein transfer from myofibroblasts to cardiomyocytes is reduced after myofibroblast-specific Cx43 down-regulation. Conversely, 4PB-treated myofibroblasts increased their functional coupling to cardiomyocytes. Consistent with lamellipodia-mediated contacts, latrunculin-B decreases dynamism, lowers physical communication between heterocellular pairs, and reduces Cx43 intensity in contact regions. Our data show that heterocellular cardiomyocyte-myofibroblast contacts exhibit high dynamism. Therefore, Cx43 is a potential target for prevention of aberrant cardiomyocyte coupling and myofibroblast proliferation in the infarct border zone.-Schultz, F., Swiatlowska, P., Alvarez-Laviada, A., Sanchez-Alonso, J. L., Song, Q., de Vries, A. A. F., Pijnappels, D. A., Ongstad, E., Braga, V. M. M., Entcheva, E., Gourdie, R. G., Miragoli, M., Gorelik, J. Cardiomyocyte-myofibroblast contact dynamism is modulated by connexin-43.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Schultz
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela Swiatlowska
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Qianqian Song
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Daniël A. Pijnappels
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Emily Ongstad
- Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Vania M. M. Braga
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emilia Entcheva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert G. Gourdie
- Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Michele Miragoli
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Milan, Italy;,Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy,Correspondence: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43124 Parma, Italy. E-mail:
| | - Julia Gorelik
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom;,Correspondence: National Heart and Lung Institute, 4th Floor, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Rd., London W12 0NN, United Kingdom. E-mail:
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26
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Rubart M, Tao W, Lu XL, Conway SJ, Reuter SP, Lin SF, Soonpaa MH. Electrical coupling between ventricular myocytes and myofibroblasts in the infarcted mouse heart. Cardiovasc Res 2019; 114:389-400. [PMID: 29016731 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvx163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Recent studies have demonstrated electrotonic coupling between scar tissue and the surrounding myocardium in cryoinjured hearts. However, the electrical dynamics occurring at the myocyte-nonmyocyte interface in the fibrotic heart remain undefined. Here, we sought to develop an assay to interrogate the nonmyocyte cell type contributing to heterocellular coupling and to characterize, on a cellular scale, its voltage response in the infarct border zone of living hearts. Methods and results We used two-photon laser scanning microscopy in conjunction with a voltage-sensitive dye to record transmembrane voltage changes simultaneously from cardiomyocytes and adjoined nonmyocytes in Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts with healing myocardial infarction. Transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted expression of a green fluorescent reporter protein underwent permanent coronary artery ligation and their hearts were subjected to voltage imaging 7-10 days later. Reporter-negative cells, i.e. nonmyocytes, in the infarct border zone exhibited depolarizing transients at a 1:1 coupling ratio with action potentials recorded simultaneously from adjacent, reporter-positive ventricular myocytes. The electrotonic responses in the nonmyocytes exhibited slower rates of de- and repolarization compared to the action potential waveform of juxtaposed myocytes. Voltage imaging in infarcted hearts expressing a fluorescent reporter specifically in myofibroblasts revealed that the latter were electrically coupled to border zone myocytes. Their voltage transient properties were indistinguishable from those of nonmyocytes in hearts with cardiomyocyte-restricted reporter expression. The density of connexin43 expression at myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte junctions was ∼5% of that in the intercalated disc regions of paired ventricular myocytes in the remote, uninjured myocardium, whereas the ratio of connexin45 to connexin43 expression levels at heterocellular contacts was ∼1%. Conclusion Myofibroblasts contribute to the population of electrically coupled nonmyocytes in the infarct border zone. The slower kinetics of myofibroblast voltage responses may reflect low electrical conductivity across heterocellular junctions, in accordance with the paucity of connexin expression at myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Rubart
- Wells Centre for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Wen Tao
- Wells Centre for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Xiao-Long Lu
- Wells Centre for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Simon J Conway
- Wells Centre for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sean P Reuter
- Wells Centre for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Shien-Fong Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Mark H Soonpaa
- Wells Centre for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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27
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Myofibroblast modulation of cardiac myocyte structure and function. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8879. [PMID: 31222006 PMCID: PMC6586929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45078-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
After myocardial infarction, resident fibroblasts (Fb) differentiate towards myofibroblasts (MyoFb), generating the scar tissue and the interstitial fibrosis seen in the adjacent myocardium. Fb and MyoFb have the potential to interact with cardiac myocytes (CMs) but insight into the phenotype-specific role and mode of interaction is still incomplete. Our objectives are to further define the modulation of CMs by MyoFbs compared to Fbs, as well as the role of direct contact through gap junctions vs. soluble mediators, using Fbs and CMs from pig left ventricle. Fbs were treated to maintain an undifferentiated state (SD-208) or to attain full differentiation to MyoFb (TGF-β1). Fbs and MyoFbs were co-cultured with CMs, with the possibility of direct contact or separated by a Thincert membrane. Only in direct co-culture, both Fbs and MyoFbs were able to decrease CM viability after 2 days. Only MyoFbs induced significant distal spreading of CMs in both direct and indirect co-culture. MyoFbs, but not Fbs, readily made connections with CMs in direct co-culture and connexin 43 expression in MyoFb was higher than in Fb. When coupled to CMs, MyoFbs reduced the CM action potential duration and hyperpolarized the CM resting membrane potential. Uncoupling reversed these effects. In conclusion, MyoFbs, but not Fbs, alter the CM structural phenotype. MyoFbs, but not Fbs, are likely to electrically connect to CMs and thereby modulate the CM membrane potential. These data provide further support for an active role of MyoFbs in the arrhythmogenic substrate after cardiac remodelling.
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Mora MT, Gomez JF, Morley G, Ferrero JM, Trenor B. Mechanistic investigation of Ca2+ alternans in human heart failure and its modulation by fibroblasts. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217993. [PMID: 31211790 PMCID: PMC6581251 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Heart failure (HF) is characterized, among other factors, by a progressive loss of contractile function and by the formation of an arrhythmogenic substrate, both aspects partially related to intracellular Ca2+ cycling disorders. In failing hearts both electrophysiological and structural remodeling, including fibroblast proliferation, contribute to changes in Ca2+ handling which promote the appearance of Ca2+ alternans (Ca-alt). Ca-alt in turn give rise to repolarization alternans, which promote dispersion of repolarization and contribute to reentrant activity. The computational analysis of the incidence of Ca2+ and/or repolarization alternans under HF conditions in the presence of fibroblasts could provide a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to HF arrhythmias and contractile function disorders. Methods and findings The goal of the present study was to investigate in silico the mechanisms leading to the formation of Ca-alt in failing human ventricular myocytes and tissues with disperse fibroblast distributions. The contribution of ionic currents variability to alternans formation at the cellular level was analyzed and the results show that in normal ventricular tissue, altered Ca2+ dynamics lead to Ca-alt, which precede APD alternans and can be aggravated by the presence of fibroblasts. Electrophysiological remodeling of failing tissue alone is sufficient to develop alternans. The incidence of alternans is reduced when fibroblasts are present in failing tissue due to significantly depressed Ca2+ transients. The analysis of the underlying ionic mechanisms suggests that Ca-alt are driven by Ca2+-handling protein and Ca2+ cycling dysfunctions in the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum and that their contribution to alternans occurrence depends on the cardiac remodeling conditions and on myocyte-fibroblast interactions. Conclusion It can thus be concluded that fibroblasts modulate the formation of Ca-alt in human ventricular tissue subjected to heart failure-related electrophysiological remodeling. Pharmacological therapies should thus consider the extent of both the electrophysiological and structural remodeling present in the failing heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T. Mora
- Centro de Insvestigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan F. Gomez
- Centro de Insvestigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gregory Morley
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jose M. Ferrero
- Centro de Insvestigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Trenor
- Centro de Insvestigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Zaglia T, Di Bona A, Mongillo M. A Light Wand to Untangle the Myocardial Cell Network. Methods Protoc 2019; 2:E34. [PMID: 31164614 PMCID: PMC6632158 DOI: 10.3390/mps2020034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of optogenetics has revolutionized research in neuroscience by providing the tools for noninvasive, cell-type selective modulation of membrane potential and cellular function in vitro and in vivo. Rhodopsin-based optogenetics has later been introduced in experimental cardiology studies and used as a tool to photoactivate cardiac contractions or to identify the sites, timing, and location most effective for defibrillating impulses to interrupt cardiac arrhythmias. The exploitation of cell-selectivity of optogenetics, and the generation of model organisms with myocardial cell type targeted expression of opsins has started to yield novel and sometimes unexpected notions on myocardial biology. This review summarizes the main results, the different uses, and the prospective developments of cardiac optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Zaglia
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35122 Padova, Italy.
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy.
| | - Anna Di Bona
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy.
| | - Marco Mongillo
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35122 Padova, Italy.
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy.
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Brand CS, Lighthouse JK, Trembley MA. Protective transcriptional mechanisms in cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2019; 132:1-12. [PMID: 31042488 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2019.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several lines of evidence suggest that physical activity and exercise can pre-condition the heart to improve the response to acute cardiac injury such as myocardial infarction or ischemia/reperfusion injury, preventing the progression to heart failure. It is becoming more apparent that cardioprotection is a concerted effort between multiple cell types and converging signaling pathways. However, the molecular mechanisms of cardioprotection are not completely understood. What is clear is that the mechanisms underlying this protection involve acute activation of transcriptional activators and their corresponding gene expression programs. Here, we review the known stress-dependent transcriptional programs that are activated in cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts to preserve function in the adult heart after injury. Focus is given to prominent transcriptional pathways such as mechanical stress or reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent activation of myocardin-related transcription factors (MRTFs) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), and gene expression that positively regulates protective PI3K/Akt signaling. Together, these pathways modulate both beneficial and pathological responses to cardiac injury in a cell-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron S Brand
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California - San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Biomedical Sciences Building, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Janet K Lighthouse
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box CVRI, Rochester, NY 14624, USA.
| | - Michael A Trembley
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Pattar SS, Fatehi Hassanabad A, Fedak PWM. Acellular Extracellular Matrix Bioscaffolds for Cardiac Repair and Regeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:63. [PMID: 31080800 PMCID: PMC6497812 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure is a progressive deterioration of cardiac pump function over time and is often a manifestation of ischemic injury caused by myocardial infarction (MI). Post-MI, structural remodeling of the infarcted myocardium ensues. Dysregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis is a hallmark of structural cardiac remodeling and is largely driven by cardiac fibroblast activation. While initially adaptive, structural cardiac remodeling leads to irreversible heart failure due to the progressive loss of cardiac function. Loss of pump function is associated with myocardial fibrosis, wall thinning, and left ventricular (LV) dilatation. Surgical revascularization of the damaged myocardium via coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can enhance myocardial perfusion and is beneficial. However, these interventions alone are unable to prevent progressive fibrotic remodeling and loss of heart function that leads to clinical end-stage heart failure. Acellular biologic ECM scaffolds can be surgically implanted onto injured myocardial regions during open-heart surgery as an adjunct therapy to surgical revascularization. This presents a novel therapeutic approach to alter maladaptive remodeling and promote functional recovery. Acellular ECM bioscaffolds have been shown to provide passive structural support to the damaged myocardium and also to act as a dynamic bioactive reservoir capable of promoting endogenous mechanisms of tissue repair, such as vasculogenesis. The composition and structure of xenogenic acellular ECM bioscaffolds are determined by the physiological requirements of the tissue from which they are derived. The capacity of different tissue-derived acellular bioscaffolds to attenuate cardiac remodeling and restore ECM homeostasis after injury may depend on such properties. Accordingly, the search and discovery of an optimal ECM bioscaffold for use in cardiac repair is warranted and may be facilitated by comparing bioscaffolds. This review will provide a summary of the acellular ECM bioscaffolds currently available for use in cardiac surgery with a focus on how they attenuate cardiac remodeling by providing the necessary environmental cues to promote endogenous mechanisms of tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simranjit S Pattar
- Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Science, Cumming School of Medicine, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ali Fatehi Hassanabad
- Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Science, Cumming School of Medicine, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Paul W M Fedak
- Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Science, Cumming School of Medicine, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Ghouri IA, Kelly A, Salerno S, Garten K, Stølen T, Kemi1 OJ, Smith GL. Characterization of Electrical Activity in Post-myocardial Infarction Scar Tissue in Rat Hearts Using Multiphoton Microscopy. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1454. [PMID: 30386255 PMCID: PMC6199960 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The origin of electrical behavior in post-myocardial infarction scar tissue is still under debate. This study aims to examine the extent and nature of the residual electrical activity within a stabilized ventricular infarct scar. Methods and Results: An apical infarct was induced in the left ventricle of Wistar rats by coronary artery occlusion. Five weeks post-procedure, hearts were Langendorff-perfused, and optically mapped using di-4-ANEPPS. Widefield imaging of optical action potentials (APs) on the left ventricular epicardial surface revealed uniform areas of electrical activity in both normal zone (NZ) and infarct border zone (BZ), but only limited areas of low-amplitude signals in the infarct zone (IZ). 2-photon (2P) excitation of di-4-ANEPPS and Fura-2/AM at discrete layers in the NZ revealed APs and Ca2+ transients (CaTs) to 500-600 μm below the epicardial surface. 2P imaging in the BZ revealed superficial connective tissue structures lacking APs or CaTs. At depths greater than approximately 300 μm, myocardial structures were evident that supported normal APs and CaTs. In the IZ, although 2P imaging did not reveal clear myocardial structures, low-amplitude AP signals were recorded at discrete layers. No discernible Ca2+ signals could be detected in the IZ. AP rise times in BZ were slower than NZ (3.50 ± 0.50 ms vs. 2.23 ± 0.28 ms) and further slowed in IZ (9.13 ± 0.56 ms). Widefield measurements of activation delay between NZ and BZ showed negligible difference (3.37 ± 1.55 ms), while delay values in IZ showed large variation (11.88 ± 9.43 ms). Conclusion: These AP measurements indicate that BZ consists of an electrically inert scar above relatively normal myocardium. Discrete areas/layers of IZ displayed entrained APs with altered electrophysiology, but the structure of this tissue remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iffath A. Ghouri
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Allen Kelly
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Simona Salerno
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, St. Olav’s Hospital, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Karin Garten
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, St. Olav’s Hospital, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tomas Stølen
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, St. Olav’s Hospital, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ole-Johan Kemi1
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Godfrey L. Smith
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Godfrey L. Smith,
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Overexpression of Cx43 in cells of the myocardial scar: Correction of post-infarct arrhythmias through heterotypic cell-cell coupling. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7145. [PMID: 29739982 PMCID: PMC5940892 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25147-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is the most common and potentially lethal complication following myocardial infarction (MI). Biological correction of the conduction inhomogeneity that underlies re-entry could be a major advance in infarction therapy. As minimal increases in conduction of infarcted tissue markedly influence VT susceptibility, we reasoned that enhanced propagation of the electrical signal between non-excitable cells within a resolving infarct might comprise a simple means to decrease post-infarction arrhythmia risk. We therefore tested lentivirus-mediated delivery of the gap-junction protein Connexin 43 (Cx43) into acute myocardial lesions. Cx43 was expressed in (myo)fibroblasts and CD45+ cells within the scar and provided prominent and long lasting arrhythmia protection in vivo. Optical mapping of Cx43 injected hearts revealed enhanced conduction velocity within the scar, indicating Cx43-mediated electrical coupling between myocytes and (myo)fibroblasts. Thus, Cx43 gene therapy, by direct in vivo transduction of non-cardiomyocytes, comprises a simple and clinically applicable biological therapy that markedly reduces post-infarction VT.
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Kim TY, Kofron CM, King ME, Markes AR, Okundaye AO, Qu Z, Mende U, Choi BR. Directed fusion of cardiac spheroids into larger heterocellular microtissues enables investigation of cardiac action potential propagation via cardiac fibroblasts. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196714. [PMID: 29715271 PMCID: PMC5929561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular spheroids generated through cellular self-assembly provide cytoarchitectural complexities of native tissue including three-dimensionality, extensive cell-cell contacts, and appropriate cell-extracellular matrix interactions. They are increasingly suggested as building blocks for larger engineered tissues to achieve shapes, organization, heterogeneity, and other biomimetic complexities. Application of these tissue culture platforms is of particular importance in cardiac research as the myocardium is comprised of distinct but intermingled cell types. Here, we generated scaffold-free 3D cardiac microtissue spheroids comprised of cardiac myocytes (CMs) and/or cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and used them as building blocks to form larger microtissues with different spatial distributions of CMs and CFs. Characterization of fusing homotypic and heterotypic spheroid pairs revealed an important influence of CFs on fusion kinetics, but most strikingly showed rapid fusion kinetics between heterotypic pairs consisting of one CF and one CM spheroid, indicating that CMs and CFs self-sort in vitro into the intermixed morphology found in the healthy myocardium. We then examined electrophysiological integration of fused homotypic and heterotypic microtissues by mapping action potential propagation. Heterocellular elongated microtissues which recapitulate the disproportionate CF spatial distribution seen in the infarcted myocardium showed that action potentials propagate through CF volumes albeit with significant delay. Complementary computational modeling revealed an important role of CF sodium currents and the spatial distribution of the CM-CF boundary in action potential conduction through CF volumes. Taken together, this study provides useful insights for the development of complex, heterocellular engineered 3D tissue constructs and their engraftment via tissue fusion and has implications for arrhythmogenesis in cardiac disease and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Yun Kim
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Celinda M. Kofron
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Michelle E. King
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Alexander R. Markes
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
- Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Amenawon O. Okundaye
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Ulrike Mende
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Bum-Rak Choi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
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Johnson RD, Camelliti P. Role of Non-Myocyte Gap Junctions and Connexin Hemichannels in Cardiovascular Health and Disease: Novel Therapeutic Targets? Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19030866. [PMID: 29543751 PMCID: PMC5877727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19030866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is a complex organ composed of multiple cell types, including cardiomyocytes and different non-myocyte populations, all working closely together to determine the hearts properties and maintain normal cardiac function. Connexins are abundantly expressed proteins that form plasma membrane hemichannels and gap junctions between cells. Gap junctions are intracellular channels that allow for communication between cells, and in the heart they play a crucial role in cardiac conduction by coupling adjacent cardiomyocytes. Connexins are expressed in both cardiomyocytes and non-myocytes, including cardiac fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. Non-myocytes are the largest population of cells in the heart, and therefore it is important to consider what roles connexins, hemichannels, and gap junctions play in these cell types. The aim of this review is to provide insight into connexin-based signalling in non-myocytes during health and disease, and highlight how targeting these proteins could lead to the development of novel therapies. We conclude that connexins in non-myocytes contribute to arrhythmias and adverse ventricular remodelling following myocardial infarction, and are associated with the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. Therefore, therapeutic interventions targeting these connexins represent an exciting new research avenue with great potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Johnson
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
| | - Patrizia Camelliti
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
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Cho N, Razipour SE, McCain ML. Featured Article: TGF-β1 dominates extracellular matrix rigidity for inducing differentiation of human cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2018; 243:601-612. [PMID: 29504479 DOI: 10.1177/1535370218761628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts and their activated derivatives, myofibroblasts, play a critical role in wound healing after myocardial injury and often contribute to long-term pathological outcomes, such as excessive fibrosis. Thus, defining the microenvironmental factors that regulate the phenotype of cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts could lead to new therapeutic strategies. Both chemical and biomechanical cues have previously been shown to induce myofibroblast differentiation in many organs and species. For example, transforming growth factor beta 1, a cytokine secreted by neutrophils, and rigid extracellular matrix environments have both been shown to promote differentiation. However, the relative contributions of transforming growth factor beta 1 and extracellular matrix rigidity, two hallmark cues in many pathological myocardial microenvironments, to the phenotype of human cardiac fibroblasts are unclear. We hypothesized that transforming growth factor beta 1 and rigid extracellular matrix environments would potentially have a synergistic effect on the differentiation of human cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. To test this, we seeded primary human adult cardiac fibroblasts onto coverslips coated with polydimethylsiloxane of various elastic moduli, introduced transforming growth factor beta 1, and longitudinally quantified cell phenotype by measuring expression of α-smooth muscle actin, the most robust indicator of myofibroblasts. Our data indicate that, although extracellular matrix rigidity influenced differentiation after one day of transforming growth factor beta 1 treatment, ultimately transforming growth factor beta 1 superseded extracellular matrix rigidity as the primary regulator of myofibroblast differentiation. We also measured expression of POSTN, FAP, and FSP1, proposed secondary indicators of fibroblast/myofibroblast phenotypes. Although these genes partially trended with α-smooth muscle actin expression, they were relatively inconsistent. Finally, we demonstrated that activated myofibroblasts incompletely revert to a fibroblast phenotype after they are re-plated onto new surfaces without transforming growth factor beta 1, suggesting differentiation is partially reversible. Our results provide new insights into how microenvironmental cues affect human cardiac fibroblast differentiation in the context of myocardial pathology, which is important for identifying effective therapeutic targets and dictating supporting cell phenotypes for engineered human cardiac disease models. Impact statement Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Many forms of heart disease are associated with fibrosis, which increases extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity and compromises cardiac output. Fibrotic tissue is synthesized primarily by myofibroblasts differentiated from fibroblasts. Thus, defining the cues that regulate myofibroblast differentiation is important for understanding the mechanisms of fibrosis. However, previous studies have focused on non-human cardiac fibroblasts and have not tested combinations of chemical and mechanical cues. We tested the effects of TGF-β1, a cytokine secreted by immune cells after injury, and ECM rigidity on the differentiation of human cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Our results indicate that differentiation is initially influenced by ECM rigidity, but is ultimately superseded by TGF-β1. This suggests that targeting TGF-β signaling pathways in cardiac fibroblasts may have therapeutic potential for attenuating fibrosis, even in rigid microenvironments. Additionally, our approach can be leveraged to engineer more precise multi-cellular human cardiac tissue models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Cho
- 1 Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Shadi E Razipour
- 1 Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Megan L McCain
- 1 Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.,2 Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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37
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Pinto AR. A change of heart: a transforming view of cardiac function. NPJ Regen Med 2018; 2:24. [PMID: 29302359 PMCID: PMC5677917 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-017-0030-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Pinto
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC Australia.,The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME USA
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38
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Salvarani N, Maguy A, De Simone SA, Miragoli M, Jousset F, Rohr S. TGF-β 1 (Transforming Growth Factor-β 1) Plays a Pivotal Role in Cardiac Myofibroblast Arrhythmogenicity. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2017; 10:e004567. [PMID: 28500173 DOI: 10.1161/circep.116.004567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor-β1) importantly contributes to cardiac fibrosis by controlling differentiation, migration, and collagen secretion of cardiac myofibroblasts. It is still elusive, however, to which extent TGF-β1 alters the electrophysiological phenotype of myofibroblasts and cardiomyocytes and whether it affects proarrhythmic myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte crosstalk observed in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS Patch-clamp recordings of cultured neonatal rat ventricular myofibroblasts revealed that TGF-β1, applied for 24 to 48 hours at clinically relevant concentrations (≤2.5 ng/mL), causes substantial membrane depolarization concomitant with a several-fold increase of transmembrane currents. Transcriptome analysis revealed TGF-β1-dependent changes in 29 of 63 ion channel/pump/connexin transcripts, indicating a pleiotropic effect on the electrical phenotype of myofibroblasts. Whereas not affecting cardiomyocyte membrane potentials and cardiomyocyte-cardiomyocyte gap junctional coupling, TGF-β1 depolarized cardiomyocytes coupled to myofibroblasts by ≈20 mV and increased gap junctional coupling between myofibroblasts and cardiomyocytes >5-fold as reflected by elevated connexin 43 and consortin transcripts. TGF-β1-dependent cardiomyocyte depolarization resulted from electrotonic crosstalk with myofibroblasts as demonstrated by immediate normalization of cardiomyocyte electrophysiology after targeted disruption of coupled myofibroblasts and by cessation of ectopic activity of cardiomyocytes coupled to myofibroblasts during pharmacological gap junctional uncoupling. In cardiac fibrosis models exhibiting slow conduction and ectopic activity, block of TGF-β1 signaling completely abolished both arrhythmogenic conditions. CONCLUSIONS TGF-β1 profoundly alters the electrophysiological phenotype of cardiac myofibroblasts. Apart from possibly contributing to the control of cell function in general, the changes proved to be pivotal for proarrhythmic myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte crosstalk in vitro, which suggests that TGF-β1 may play a potentially important role in arrhythmogenesis of the fibrotic heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Salvarani
- From the Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ange Maguy
- From the Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Michele Miragoli
- From the Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Florian Jousset
- From the Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Rohr
- From the Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
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Kofron CM, Kim TY, King ME, Xie A, Feng F, Park E, Qu Z, Choi BR, Mende U. G q-activated fibroblasts induce cardiomyocyte action potential prolongation and automaticity in a three-dimensional microtissue environment. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2017; 313:H810-H827. [PMID: 28710068 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00181.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are known to regulate cardiomyocyte (CM) function in vivo and in two-dimensional in vitro cultures. This study examined the effect of CF activation on the regulation of CM electrical activity in a three-dimensional (3-D) microtissue environment. Using a scaffold-free 3-D platform with interspersed neonatal rat ventricular CMs and CFs, Gq-mediated signaling was selectively enhanced in CFs by Gαq adenoviral infection before coseeding with CMs in nonadhesive hydrogels. After 3 days, the microtissues were analyzed by signaling assay, histological staining, quantitative PCR, Western blots, optical mapping with voltage- or Ca2+-sensitive dyes, and microelectrode recordings of CF resting membrane potential (RMPCF). Enhanced Gq signaling in CFs increased microtissue size and profibrotic and prohypertrophic markers. Expression of constitutively active Gαq in CFs prolonged CM action potential duration (by 33%) and rise time (by 31%), prolonged Ca2+ transient duration (by 98%) and rise time (by 65%), and caused abnormal electrical activity based on depolarization-induced automaticity. Constitutive Gq activation in CFs also depolarized RMPCF from -33 to -20 mV and increased connexin 43 and connexin 45 expression. Computational modeling confers that elevated RMPCF and increased cell-cell coupling between CMs and CFs in a 3-D environment could lead to automaticity. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that CF activation alone is capable of altering action potential and Ca2+ transient characteristics of CMs, leading to proarrhythmic electrical activity. Our results also emphasize the importance of a 3-D environment where cell-cell interactions are prevalent, underscoring that CF activation in 3-D tissue plays a significant role in modulating CM electrophysiology and arrhythmias.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In a three-dimensional microtissue model, which lowers baseline activation of cardiac fibroblasts but enables cell-cell, paracrine, and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, we demonstrate that selective cardiac fibroblast activation by enhanced Gq signaling, a pathophysiological trigger in the diseased heart, modulates cardiomyocyte electrical activity, leading to proarrhythmogenic automaticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Kofron
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - T Y Kim
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - M E King
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - A Xie
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - F Feng
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - E Park
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - Z Qu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - B-R Choi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - U Mende
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
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Calcium sensing receptor protects high glucose-induced energy metabolism disorder via blocking gp78-ubiquitin proteasome pathway. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2799. [PMID: 28518143 PMCID: PMC5520714 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication and fatal cause of the patients with diabetes. The calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) is a G protein-coupled receptor, which is involved in maintaining calcium homeostasis, regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, and so on. In our previous study, we found that CaSR expression, intracellular calcium levels and cardiac function were all significantly decreased in DCM rats; however, the exact mechanism are not clear yet. The present study revealed the protective role of CaSR in myocardial energy metabolism disorder induced by high glucose (HG) as well as the underlying mechanism. Here, we demonstrated that HG decreased the expression of CaSR, mitochondrial fusion proteins (Mfn1, Mfn2), cell gap junction related proteins (Cx43, β-catenin, N-cadherin), and intracellular ATP concentration. In contrast, HG increased extracellular ATP concentration, the expression of gp78, mitochondrial fission proteins (Fis1, Drp1), and the ubiquitination levels of Mfn1, Mfn2 and Cx43. Moreover, CaSR agonist and gp78-siRNA significantly reduced the above changes. Taken together, these results suggest that HG induces myocardial energy metabolism disorder via decrease of CaSR expression, and activation of gp78-ubiquitin proteasome system. In turn, these effects disrupt the structure and function of the mitochondria and the cell gap junction, result in the reduced ATP synthesis and the increased ATP leakage. Stimulation of CaSR significantly attenuates HG-induced abnormal myocardial energy metabolism, suggesting CaSR would be a promising potential therapeutic target for DCM.
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Tanaka H, Matsuyama TA, Takamatsu T. Towards an integrated understanding of cardiac arrhythmogenesis − Growing roles of experimental pathology. Pathol Int 2016; 67:8-16. [DOI: 10.1111/pin.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Tanaka
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation; Graduate School of Medical Science; Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto Japan
| | - Taka-aki Matsuyama
- Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation; Graduate School of Medical Science; Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto Japan
| | - Tetsuro Takamatsu
- Department of Medical Photonics; Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto Japan
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Electrotonic coupling of excitable and nonexcitable cells in the heart revealed by optogenetics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14852-14857. [PMID: 27930302 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1611184114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological studies of excitable organs usually focus on action potential (AP)-generating cells, whereas nonexcitable cells are generally considered as barriers to electrical conduction. Whether nonexcitable cells may modulate excitable cell function or even contribute to AP conduction via direct electrotonic coupling to AP-generating cells is unresolved in the heart: such coupling is present in vitro, but conclusive evidence in situ is lacking. We used genetically encoded voltage-sensitive fluorescent protein 2.3 (VSFP2.3) to monitor transmembrane potential in either myocytes or nonmyocytes of murine hearts. We confirm that VSFP2.3 allows measurement of cell type-specific electrical activity. We show that VSFP2.3, expressed solely in nonmyocytes, can report cardiomyocyte AP-like signals at the border of healed cryoinjuries. Using EM-based tomographic reconstruction, we further discovered tunneling nanotube connections between myocytes and nonmyocytes in cardiac scar border tissue. Our results provide direct electrophysiological evidence of heterocellular electrotonic coupling in native myocardium and identify tunneling nanotubes as a possible substrate for electrical cell coupling that may be in addition to previously discovered connexins at sites of myocyte-nonmyocyte contact in the heart. These findings call for reevaluation of cardiac nonmyocyte roles in electrical connectivity of the heterocellular heart.
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The role of cardiac fibroblasts in post-myocardial heart tissue repair. Exp Mol Pathol 2016; 101:231-240. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Novel therapeutic strategies targeting fibroblasts and fibrosis in heart disease. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2016; 15:620-638. [PMID: 27339799 DOI: 10.1038/nrd.2016.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the functions of cardiac fibroblasts has moved beyond their roles in heart structure and extracellular matrix generation and now includes their contributions to paracrine, mechanical and electrical signalling during ontogenesis and normal cardiac activity. Fibroblasts also have central roles in pathogenic remodelling during myocardial ischaemia, hypertension and heart failure. As key contributors to scar formation, they are crucial for tissue repair after interventions including surgery and ablation. Novel experimental approaches targeting cardiac fibroblasts are promising potential therapies for heart disease. Indeed, several existing drugs act, at least partially, through effects on cardiac connective tissue. This Review outlines the origins and roles of fibroblasts in cardiac development, homeostasis and disease; illustrates the involvement of fibroblasts in current and emerging clinical interventions; and identifies future targets for research and development.
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