Investigating the Transient Regenerative Potential of Cardiac Muscle Using a Neonatal Pig Partial Apical Resection Model.

Researchers have shown that adult zebrafish have the potential to regenerate 20% of the ventricular muscle within two months of apex resection, and neonatal mice have the capacity to regenerate their heart after apex resection up until day 7 after birth. The goal of this study was to determine if large mammals (porcine heart model) have the capability to fully regenerate a resected portion of the left ventricular apex during the neonatal stage, and if so, how long the regenerative potential persists. A total of 36 piglets were divided into the following groups: 0-day control and surgical groups and seven-day control and surgical groups.

Current advances in biodegradable synthetic polymer based cardiac patches.

The number of people affected by heart disease such as coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction increases at an alarming rate each year. Currently, the methods to treat these diseases are restricted to lifestyle change, pharmaceuticals, and eventually heart transplant if the condition is severe enough. While these treatment options are the standard for caring for patients who suffer from heart disease, limited regenerative ability of the heart restricts the effectiveness of treatment and may lead to other heart-related health problems in the future.

Epicardial prestrained confinement and residual stresses: a newly observed heart ventricle confinement interface.

The heart epicardial layer, with elastin as the dominant component, has not been well investigated, specifically on how it contributes to ventricular biomechanics. In this study, we revealed and quantitatively assessed the overall status of prestraining and residual stresses exerted by the epicardial layer on the heart left ventricle (LV). During porcine heart wall dissection, we discovered that bi-layered LV surface strips, consisting of an epicardial layer and cardiac muscle, always curled towards the epicardial side due to epicardial residual stresses.

A Thin Layer of Decellularized Porcine Myocardium for Cell Delivery.

Decellularized porcine myocardium has shown many benefits as a cell delivery scaffold for cardiac therapy. However, using full thickness decellularized myocardium as cardiac patch may lead to poor viability and inhomogeneous distribution of delivered cells, due to perfusion limitations. In this study, we explored the feasibility of decellularized porcine myocardial slice (dPMS) to construct a vascularized cardiac patch for cell delivery.

Congenital Zika Virus Infection in Immunocompetent Mice Causes Postnatal Growth Impediment and Neurobehavioral Deficits.

A small percentage of babies born to Zika virus (ZIKV)-infected mothers manifest severe defects at birth, including microcephaly. Among those who appeared healthy at birth, there are increasing reports of postnatal growth or developmental defects. However, the impact of congenital ZIKV infection in postnatal development is poorly understood.

Biomechanical properties and microstructure of neonatal porcine ventricles.

Neonatal heart disorders represent a major clinical challenge, with congenital heart disease alone affecting 36,000 new-borns annually within the European Union. Surgical intervention to restore normal function includes the implantation of synthetic and biological materials; however, a lack of experimental data describing the mechanical behaviour of neonatal cardiac tissue is likely to contribute to the relatively poor short- and long-term outcome of these implants. This study focused on characterising the mechanical behaviour of neonatal cardiac tissue using a porcine model, to enhance the understanding of how this differs to the equivalent mature tissue.