A Pacing-Controlled Procedure for the Assessment of Heart Rate-Dependent Diastolic Functions in Murine Heart Failure Models

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a condition characterized by diastolic dysfunction and exercise intolerance. While ...

The University of Tokyo Hospital

The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Hydrogen Sulfide, a Potential Cardioprotective Gas Activating a Life Span Regulator.

Variants in TGFBR1 have been reported to induce two completely distinct diseases, namely Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) and multiple self-healing squamous epithelioma (MSSE). However, detailed mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. We report a Japanese familial case of LDS with a novel splice donor site variant in TGFBR1 gene (c.973 + 1 G > A; NG_007461.1). The intronic variant was predicted to mediate in-frame exon 5 skipping within the serine/threonine kinase (STK) domain, which may also be mediated by a similar TGFBR1 variant of a splice acceptor site in intron 4 (c.806-2 A > C), identified in a British familial case of MSSE. Therefore, ex vivo splicing and functional assays were performed in mammalian cells to evaluate the effect of these sequence variants. The MSSE variant activated a cryptic acceptor site at 76 bp downstream of the 3' natural splice acceptor site, which produced an out-of-frame transcript (r.807_882del, p.Asn270Thrfs*8). In contrast, the LDS variant generated two types of in-frame transcription products, r.[806_973del, 965_973 del], and produced two functionally inactivated proteins, p.[Asp269_Gln324del, Thr323_Gly325del], as a result of exon 5 skipping and the activation of a cryptic donor splice site at 9 bp upstream of the 5' natural splice donor site, respectively. Our results support the previously proposed but not yet approved mechanism that dominant-negative and truncating variants in STK domain induce LDS and MSSE, respectively.

Distinct variants affecting differential splicing of TGFBR1 exon 5 cause either Loeys-Dietz syndrome or multiple self-healing squamous epithelioma.

Accumulating data suggest that new cardiomyocytes in adults are generated from existing cardiomyocytes throughout life. To enhance the endogenous cardiac regeneration, we performed chemical screenings to identify compounds that activate pro-proliferative YES-associated protein and transcriptional enhancer factor domain activities in cardiomyocytes. We synthesized a novel fluorine-containing TT-10 (CHFNOS) from the biologically hit compound. TT-10 promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and simultaneously exerted antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects in vitro. TT-10 treatment in mice ameliorated myocardial infarction-induced cardiac dysfunction at least in part via enhancing clonal expansion of existing cardiomyocytes with nuclear YES-associated protein expression. Stimulating cardiomyocyte proliferation and/or protection with TT-10 might complement current therapies for myocardial infarction.

Discovery of a Small Molecule to Increase Cardiomyocytes and Protect the Heart After Ischemic Injury.

Increased transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling contributes to the pathophysiology of aortic aneurysm in Marfan syndrome (MFS). Recent reports indicate that a small but significant number of inflammatory cells are infiltrated into the aortic media and adventitia in MFS. However, little is known about the contribution of myeloid cells to aortic aneurysmal formation. In this study, we ablated the TGF-β type II receptor gene Tgfbr2 in myeloid cells of Fbn1C1039G/+ MFS mice (Fbn1C1039G/+;LysM-Cre/+;Tgfbr2fl/fl mice, hereinafter called Fbn1C1039G/+;Tgfbr2MyeKO) and evaluated macrophage infiltration and TGF-β signaling in the aorta. Aneurysmal formation with fragmentation and disarray of medial elastic fibers observed in MFS mice was significantly ameliorated in Fbn1C1039G/+;Tgfbr2MyeKO mice. In the aorta of Fbn1C1039G/+;Tgfbr2MyeKO mice, both canonical and noncanonical TGF-β signals were attenuated and the number of infiltrated F4/80-positive macrophages was significantly reduced. In vitro, TGF-β enhanced the migration capacity of RAW264.7 macrophages. These findings suggest that TGF-β signaling in myeloid cells promotes aortic aneurysmal formation and its inhibition might be a novel therapeutic target in MFS.

Inhibition of transforming growth factor-β signaling in myeloid cells ameliorates aortic aneurysmal formation in Marfan syndrome.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is sometimes considered as an alternative therapeutic strategy to surgical revascularization in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, the types or conditions of patients that receive the clinical benefit of left ventricular reverse remodelling (LVRR) remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of LVRR following PCI in CAD patients with reduced LVEF. From 4394 consecutive patients who underwent PCI, a total of 286 patients with reduced LV systolic function (LVEF < 50% at initial left ventriculography) were included in the analysis. LVRR was defined as LV end-systolic volume reduction ≥ 15% and improvement of LVEF ≥ 10% at 6 months follow-up left ventriculography. Patients were divided into LVRR (n = 63) and non-LVRR (n = 223) groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) intervention was significantly associated with LVRR (P = 0.007, odds ratios [OR] 4.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54-14.38), while prior PCI (P = 0.001, OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19-0.66), presence of in-stent restenosis (P = 0.016, OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.12-0.81), and presence of de-novo stenosis (P = 0.038, OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.14-0.95) were negatively associated with LVRR. These data suggest the potential prognostic benefit of unprotected LMCA intervention for LVRR and importance of angiographic follow-up in patients with CAD and LV systolic dysfunction.

Factors associated with left ventricular reverse remodelling after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Three-Dimensional Visualization of Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in Mice.

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), produced by guanylate cyclase (GC), activates protein kinase G (PKG) and regulates cardiac remodeling. cGMP/PKG signal is activated by two intrinsic pathways: nitric oxide (NO)-soluble GC and natriuretic peptide (NP)-particulate GC (pGC) pathways. Activation of these pathways has emerged as a potent therapeutic strategy to treat patients with heart failure, given cGMP-PKG signaling is impaired in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Large scale clinical trials in patients with HFrEF have shown positive results with agents that activate cGMP-PKG pathways. In patients with HFpEF, however, benefits were observed only in a subgroup of patients. Further investigation for cGMP-PKG pathway is needed to develop better targeting strategies for HFpEF. This review outlines cGMP-PKG pathway and its modulation in heart failure.

Cyclic GMP and PKG Signaling in Heart Failure.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), characterized by diastolic dysfunction and insufficient exercise capacity, is a growing health problem worldwide. One major difficulty with experimental research on HFpEF is the lack of methods to consistently detect diastolic dysfunction in mouse models. We developed a pacing-controlled pressure-volume (PV) loop protocol for the assessment of diastolic function at different heart rates in mice and tested if the protocol could detect diastolic dysfunction specific to a HFpEF model. A HFpEF model was generated by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding with concomitant -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester administration, and a pressure-overload hypertrophy (PO) model was produced by surgical constriction of the transverse aorta (TAC). Heart rate (HR) was slowed below 400 beats/min by intraperitoneal injection of ivabradine. PV loop data were acquired and analyzed at HR incrementing from 400 to 700 beats/min via atrial pacing using a miniature pacing catheter inserted into the esophagus, and comparisons were made among control, HFpEF, and PO mice. At baseline without pacing, no diastolic abnormalities were detected in either PO or HFpEF models. Frequency-diastolic relations, however, revealed the significant diastolic impairment specific to the HFpEF model; both relaxation time constant (Tau) and end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship (EDPVR) were worsened as heart rate increased. Peak positive first derivative of left ventricular pressure (dP/d) was significantly lower in HFpEF versus controls only at a high HR of 700 beats/min. A pacing-controlled protocol would be a feasible and potent method to detect diastolic dysfunction specific to a mouse HFpEF model. We developed a pacing-controlled PV loop protocol for the assessment of diastolic function at different heart rates in mice, which is a feasible and potent method for the characterization of diastolic dysfunction in a murine HFpEF model whose diastolic dysfunction might be difficult to be detected under resting conditions without pacing.

A pacing-controlled protocol for frequency-diastolic relations distinguishes diastolic dysfunction specific to a mouse HFpEF model.

Dopamine D1 receptor (D1R), coded by the Drd1 gene, is induced in cardiomyocytes of failing hearts, triggering heart failure-associated ventricular arrhythmia, and therefore could be a potential therapeutic target for chronic heart failure. The regulation of D1R expression, however, is not fully understood. Here, we explored the molecular mechanism by which cardiomyocyte D1R is induced in failing hearts. We performed motif analysis for the promoter region of the Drd1 gene using the transcription factor affinity prediction (TRAP) method and identified nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) as a candidate transcriptional factor regulating the expression of the Drd1 gene. We next employed murine models of heart failure from chronic pressure overload by transverse aortic constriction (TAC), and assessed myocardial Drd1 expression levels and NF-κB activity, as well as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Drd1 induction in TAC hearts was dependent on the severity of heart failure, and was associated with NF-κB activation and ER stress, as assessed by p65 phosphorylation and the expression of ER stress-related genes, respectively. We further tested if Drd1 was induced by ER stress via NF-κB activation in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Tunicamycin activated NF-κB pathway in an ER stress-dependent manner and increased Drd1 expression. Importantly, inhibition of NF-κB pathway by pretreatment with Bay11-7082 completely suppressed the tunicamycin-induced upregulation of Drd1, suggesting that NF-κB activation is essential to this regulation. Our study demonstrates the pivotal role for the ER stress-induced NF-κB activation in the induction of D1R in cardiomyocytes. Intervention of this pathway might be a potential new therapeutic strategy for heart failure-associated ventricular arrhythmia.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress-activated nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway induces the upregulation of cardiomyocyte dopamine D1 receptor in heart failure.

Eiki Takimoto

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine

The University of Tokyo Hospital

A Pacing-Controlled Procedure for the Assessment of Heart Rate-Dependent Diastolic Functions in Murine Heart Failure Models

Eiki Takimoto

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Cardiovascular Medicine

The University of Tokyo Hospital

A Pacing-Controlled Procedure for the Assessment of Heart Rate-Dependent Diastolic Functions in Murine Heart Failure Models

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine