Summary Growth and expansion of ventricular chambers is essential during heart development and is achieved by proliferation of cardiac progenitors. Adult cardiomyocytes, by contrast, achieve growth through hypertrophy rather than hyperplasia. Although epicardial-derived signals may contribute to the proliferative process in myocytes, the factors and cell types responsible for development of the ventricular myocardial thickness are unclear. Using a co-culture system, we found that embryonic cardiac fibroblasts induced proliferation of cardiomyocytes, in contrast to adult cardiac fibroblasts that promoted myocyte hypertrophy. We identified fibronectin, collagen and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor as embryonic cardiac fibroblast-specific signals that collaboratively promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation in a paracrine fashion. β1-integrin was required for this proliferative response, and ventricular cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of β1-integrin in mice resulted in reduced myocardial proliferation and impaired ventricular compaction. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized paracrine function of embryonic cardiac fibroblasts in regulating cardiomyocyte proliferation.

Cardiac tubular-like membrane invaginations contain the membrane scaffolding protein BIN1, which tethers dynamic microtubules that deliver calcium channels directly to T-tubule membrane.

Gap junctions form electrical conduits between adjacent myocardial cells, permitting rapid spatial passage of the excitation current essential to each heartbeat. Arrhythmogenic decreases in gap junction coupling are a characteristic of stressed, failing, and aging myocardium, but the mechanisms of decreased coupling are poorly understood. We previously found that microtubules bearing gap junction hemichannels (connexons) can deliver their cargo directly to adherens junctions. The specificity of this delivery requires the microtubule plus-end tracking protein EB1. We performed this study to investigate the hypothesis that the oxidative stress that accompanies acute and chronic ischemic disease perturbs connexon forward trafficking. We found that EB1 was displaced in ischemic human hearts, stressed mouse hearts, and isolated cells subjected to oxidative stress. As a result, we observed limited microtubule interaction with adherens junctions at intercalated discs and reduced connexon delivery and gap junction coupling. A point mutation within the tubulin-binding domain of EB1 reproduced EB1 displacement and diminished connexon delivery, confirming that EB1 displacement can limit gap junction coupling. In zebrafish hearts, oxidative stress also reduced the membrane localization of connexin and slowed the spatial spread of excitation. We anticipate that protecting the microtubule-based forward delivery apparatus of connexons could improve cell-cell coupling and reduce ischemia-related cardiac arrhythmias.

Background Heart failure is a growing epidemic and a typical aspect of heart failure pathophysiology is altered calcium transients. Normal cardiac calcium transients are initiated by Cav1.2 channels at cardiac T-tubules. BIN1 is a membrane scaffolding protein that causes Cav1.2 to traffic to T-tubules in healthy hearts. The mechanisms of Cav1.2 trafficking in heart failure are not known. Objective To study BIN1 expression and its effect on Cav1.2 trafficking in failing hearts. Methods Intact myocardium and freshly isolated cardiomyocytes from non-failing and end-stage failing human hearts were used to study BIN1 expression and Cav1.2 localization. To confirm Cav1.2 surface expression dependence on BIN1, patch clamp recordings were performed of Cav1.2 current in cell lines with and without trafficking competent BIN1. Also, in adult mouse cardiomyocytes, surface Cav1.2 and calcium transients were studied after shRNA mediated knockdown of BIN1. For a functional readout in intact heart, calcium transients and cardiac contractility were analyzed in a zebrafish model with morpholino mediated knockdown of BIN1. Results BIN1 expression is significantly decreased in failing cardiomyocytes at both mRNA (30% down) and protein (36% down) levels. Peripheral Cav1.2 is reduced 42% by imaging and biochemical T-tubule fraction of Cav1.2 is reduced 68%. Total calcium current is reduced 41% in a cell line expressing non-trafficking BIN1 mutant. In mouse cardiomyocytes, BIN1 knockdown decreases surface Cav1.2 and impairs calcium transients. In zebrafish hearts, BIN1 knockdown causes a 75% reduction in calcium transients and severe ventricular contractile dysfunction. Conclusions The data indicate that BIN1 is significantly reduced in human heart failure, and this reduction impairs Cav1.2 trafficking, calcium transients, and contractility.

Background Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a disorder involving diseased cardiac muscle. BIN1 is a membrane associated protein important to cardiomyocyte homeostasis and is down regulated in cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that BIN1 could be released into the circulation and that blood-available BIN1 can provide useful data on the cardiac status of patients whose hearts are failing due to ARVC. Objective To determine whether plasma BIN1 can measure disease severity in patients with ARVC. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 24 patients with ARVC. Plasma BIN1 levels were assessed for their ability to predict cardiac functional status and ventricular arrhythmias. Results Mean plasma BIN1 levels were decreased in ARVC patients with heart failure (15 ± 7 vs. 60 ± 17 in patients without heart failure, p<0.05; plasma BIN1 is 60±10 in non-ARVC normal controls). BIN1 levels correlated inversely with ventricular arrhythmia (R=−0.47, p<0.05), and low BIN1 correctly classified patients with advanced heart failure or ventricular arrhythmia (ROC Area under the curve, AUC, of 0.88±0.07). Low BIN1 also predicted future ventricular arrhythmias (ROC AUC of 0.89±0.09). In a stratified analysis, BIN1 could predict future arrhythmias in patients without severe heart failure (n=20) with an accuracy of 82 %. In the seven ARVC patients with serial blood samples, all of whom had evidence of disease progression during follow up, plasma BIN1 decreased significantly (decrease of 63 %, p<0.05). Conclusions Plasma BIN1 seems to correlate with cardiac functional status and presence or absence of sustained ventricular arrhythmias in a small cohort of ARVC patients and can predict future ventricular arrhythmias.

dependent thrombolytic agents are potentially prothrombotic and proinflammatory. Alfimeprase, a zinc-containing metalloproteinase, degrades fibrin directly and achieves thrombolysis independent of plasmin formation. This study examines the hypothesis that thrombolysis in the absence of plasmin generation results in improved myocardial salvage on reperfusion. The thrombolytic effects of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [rt-PA; 0.022 mg/kg, 1/10 of which was administered as a loading dose; the rest (9/10) was infused over 60 min by intracoronary (ic) administration] or alfimeprase (0.5 mg/kg over 1 min ic) were evaluated in a canine model of arterial thrombosis involving electrolytic injury of the left circumflex (LCX) coronary artery. Both agents induced thrombolysis, with onset of reperfusion being more rapid after alfimeprase compared with rt-PA (1.5 Ϯ 0.6 vs. 10.1 Ϯ 2.1 min). In the absence of adjunctive therapy, time to reocclusion after alfimeprase was 3.2 Ϯ 0.5 min compared with 77.5 Ϯ 31.9 min with rt-PA. The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa platelet receptor antagonist CRL-42796 prolonged reperfusion time after thrombolysis with alfimeprase or rt-PA. The effect of each lytic agent on myocardial infarct size was examined in a separate group of dogs subjected to 60 min of LCX coronary artery ligation and 4 h of reperfusion. Myocardial infarct size, expressed as percentage of the risk region, was larger (32.16 Ϯ 3.95%) after rt-PA compared with alfimeprase (19.85 Ϯ 3.61%) or that of the saline control group (18.46 Ϯ 3.34%). rt-PA in contrast to alfimeprase, a direct-acting fibrinolytic agent, is associated with an increase in myocyte reperfusion injury. myocardium; reperfusion injury; thrombolytic agents THROMBOLYTIC AGENTS in current use activate the fibrinolytic system and achieve thrombolysis through the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. In addition to its well-characterized mechanism of action on clot lysis, plasmin directly activates other enzymatic systems that contribute to proinflammatory events that may compromise the overall benefits of lytic therapy.Previous studies document the induction of platelet activation by plasmin and plasmin-dependent thrombolytic agents (4, 26), while others have shown both activation as well as inhibitory effects (6, 27). Therapeutic reperfusion, achieved by intravenous administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), is effective in salvaging tissue at risk of irreversible ischemic injury. The benefit of lytic therapy, however, may be limited because of failed reperfusion in 25-40% of the patients (40, 42) and the high incidence (30%) of reocclusion (43). Furthermore, because of the activation of the plasminogen-plasmin system, the mechanism for the cardioprotective effect of thrombolytic therapy remains unresolved (20).Myocardial ischemia of sufficient duration, followed by reperfusion, is associated with an extension of irreversible tissue injury. The ensuing myocyte cell death is attributed to both the ischemic episode as well as to undefined cov...

The neurotoxic effects attributed to the pesticide fenvalerate (FEN) are well-established. The aim of this study was to determine whether melatonin (MLT) was able to protect against FEN-induced behavior, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neurogenesis using zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. Zebrafish exposed to 100 μg/L FEN for 120 h exhibited decreased swimming activity accompanied by downregulated expression of neurogenesis-related genes (Dlx2, Shha, Ngn1, Elavl3, and Gfap), suggesting that neurogenesis were impaired. In addition, FEN exposure significantly elevated oxidative stress as evidenced by increased malondialdehyde levels, as well as activities of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Acridine orange staining demonstrated that embryos treated with FEN for 120 h significantly enhanced apoptosis mainly in the brain. FEN also produced upregulation of the expression of the pro-apoptotic genes (Bax, Fas, caspase 8, caspase 9, and caspase 3) and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2. MLT significantly attenuated the FEN-mediated oxidative stress, modulated apoptotic-regulating genes, and diminished apoptotic responses. Further, MLT blocked the FEN-induced effects on swimming behavior as well as on neurogenesis-related genes. In conclusion, MLT protected against FEN-induced developmental neurotoxicity and apoptosis by inhibiting pesticide-mediated oxidative stress in zebrafish.

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