Inflammation, Collagen Deposition, and Healing in a Goldfish (Carassius auratus) Model of Heart Injury

Abstract

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States. Mammalian and non‐mammalian models are used to study heart healing and regeneration following injury. In the teleost zebrafish, the removal of ventricular tissue by resection is fully replaced by thirty days with little to no scarring. We hypothesized that the goldfish (Carassius auratus) is able to regenerate its heart in a manner analogous to the zebrafish. We have performed cautery injury of 25% of the ventricle of goldfish that resulted in significant destruction of the ventricular wall and ventricular myocytes. We found an intense inflammatory response in the area of injury, followed the recruitment or proliferation of cells 3 days post injury. We also found a marked increased in collagen deposition at 3 days and 7 days that is resolved by 21 days. This observation is in contrast to the lack of collagen deposition reported in other models. Our data suggests that following cautery injury the goldfish ventricular wall is rebuilt by one week and a quasi complete healing is observed by 21 days. This is the first study showing healing following cautery injury in a fish heart.FundingDePauw University