Adducin Regulates Sarcomere Disassembly During Cardiomyocyte Mitosis.

Background: Recent interest in understanding cardiomyocyte cell cycle has been driven by potential therapeutic applications in cardiomyopathy. However, despite recent advances, cardiomyocyte mitosis remains a poorly understood process. For example, it is unclear how sarcomeres are disassembled during mitosis to allow the abscission of daughter cardiomyocytes.

Developmental differences in myocardial transmembrane Na transport: implications for excitability and Na handling.

Little is currently known about possible developmental changes in myocardial Na handling, which may have impact on cell excitability and Ca content. Resting intracellular Na concentration ([Na ] ), measured in freshly isolated rat ventricular myocytes with CoroNa green, was not significantly different in neonates (3-5 days old) and adults, but electrical stimulation caused marked [Na ] rise only in neonates. Inhibition of L-type Ca current by CdCl abolished not only systolic Ca transients, but also activity-dependent intracellular Na accumulation in immature cells.

Isolation, culture, and immunostaining of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes.

Isolation and culture of ventricular cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats (NRVMs) is a powerful model to study neonatal cardiac development, cell cycle regulation, and cardiac physiology and pathology . Here, we present our modified enzymatic digestion protocol followed by two-step discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation to isolate a high yield of viable ventricular cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats. Finally, here we describe an immunostaining protocol for cytosolic and nuclear staining of NRVMs.

Mechanisms of Neonatal Heart Regeneration.

Purpose Of Review: This review provides an overview of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the cardiac regenerative capacity during the neonatal period and the potential targets for developing novel therapies to restore myocardial loss.

Recent Findings: We present recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neonatal cardiac regeneration and the implications for the development of new cardiac regenerative therapies. During the early postnatal period, several cell types and pathways are involved in cardiomyocyte proliferation including immune response, nerve signaling, extracellular matrix, mitochondria substrate utilization, gene expression, miRNAs, and cell cycle progression.

Mechanism of Eccentric Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy Secondary to Severe Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: Primary valvular heart disease is a prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality in both industrialized and developing countries. Although the primary consequence of valvular heart disease is myocardial dysfunction, treatment of valvular heart diseases centers around valve repair or replacement rather than prevention or reversal of myocardial dysfunction. This is particularly evident in primary mitral regurgitation (MR), which invariably results in eccentric hypertrophy and left ventricular (LV) failure in the absence of timely valve repair or replacement.

MEF2C repressor variant deregulation leads to cell cycle re-entry and development of heart failure.

Background: A pathophysiological link exists between dysregulation of MEF2C transcription factors and heart failure (HF), but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Alternative splicing of MEF2C exons α, β and γ provides transcript diversity with gene activation or repression functionalities.

Methods: Neonatal and adult rat ventricular myocytes were used to overexpress MEF2C splicing variants γ+ (repressor) or γ-, or the inactive MEF2Cγ+23/24 (K23T/R24L).

Hydrocephalus and arthrogryposis in an immunocompetent mouse model of ZIKA teratogeny: A developmental study.

The teratogenic mechanisms triggered by ZIKV are still obscure due to the lack of a suitable animal model. Here we present a mouse model of developmental disruption induced by ZIKV hematogenic infection. The model utilizes immunocompetent animals from wild-type FVB/NJ and C57BL/6J strains, providing a better analogy to the human condition than approaches involving immunodeficient, genetically modified animals, or direct ZIKV injection into the brain.

FAK Forms a Complex with MEF2 to Couple Biomechanical Signaling to Transcription in Cardiomyocytes.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has emerged as a mediator of mechanotransduction in cardiomyocytes, regulating gene expression during hypertrophic remodeling. However, how FAK signaling is relayed onward to the nucleus is unclear. Here, we show that FAK interacts with and regulates myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), a master cardiac transcriptional regulator.

αB-crystallin interacts with and prevents stress-activated proteolysis of focal adhesion kinase by calpain in cardiomyocytes.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) contributes to cellular homeostasis under stress conditions. Here we show that αB-crystallin interacts with and confers protection to FAK against calpain-mediated proteolysis in cardiomyocytes. A hydrophobic patch mapped between helices 1 and 4 of the FAK FAT domain was found to bind to the β4-β8 groove of αB-crystallin.

MEF2C silencing attenuates load-induced left ventricular hypertrophy by modulating mTOR/S6K pathway in mice.

Background: The activation of the members of the myocyte enhancer factor-2 family (MEF2A, B, C and D) of transcription factors promotes cardiac hypertrophy and failure. However, the role of its individual components in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear.

Methodology/principal Findings: In this study, we investigated whether MEF2C plays a role in mediating the left ventricular hypertrophy by pressure overload in mice.

Effect of treatment on mononuclear cell migration in cervical cancer patients.

Aims And Background: Our aim was to evaluate the effect of treatment on the in vitro migration of circulating mononuclear cells in cervical cancer patients at different stages.

Methods: We prospectively investigated 24 patients with cervical neoplasia, without prior treatment, submitted to surgery or chemotherapy as therapeutic conduct. Controls were healthy volunteer women (n = 23).