Light transmittance in human atrial tissue and transthoracic illumination in rats support translatability of optogenetic cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Optogenetics could offer a solution to the current lack of an ambulatory method for the rapid automated cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF), but key translational aspects remain to be studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether optogenetic cardioversion of AF is effective in the aged heart and whether sufficient light penetrates the human atrial wall. METHODS: Atria of adult and aged rats were optogenetically modified to express light-gated ion channels (i.e., red-activatable channelrhodopsin), followed by AF induction and atrial illumination to determine the effectivity of optogenetic cardioversion. The irradiance level was determined by light transmittance measurements on human atrial tissue. RESULTS: AF could be effectively terminated in the remodeled atria of aged rats (97%, n = 6). Subsequently, ex vivo experiments using human atrial auricles demonstrated that 565-nm light pulses at an intensity of 25 mW/mm2 achieved the complete penetration of the atrial wall. Applying such irradiation onto the chest of adult rats resulted in transthoracic atrial illumination as evidenced by the optogenetic cardioversion of AF (90%, n = 4). CONCLUSION: Transthoracic optogenetic cardioversion of AF is effective in the aged rat heart using irradiation levels compatible with human atrial transmural light penetration.

'Trapped re-entry' as source of acute focal atrial arrhythmias.

AIMS: Diseased atria are characterized by functional and structural heterogeneities, adding to abnormal impulse generation and propagation. These heterogeneities are thought to lie at the origin of fractionated electrograms recorded during sinus rhythm (SR) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and are assumed to be involved in the onset and perpetuation (e.g. by re-entry) of this disorder. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain incompletely understood. Here, we tested whether regions of dense fibrosis could create an electrically isolated conduction pathway (EICP) in which re-entry could be established via ectopy and local block to become 'trapped'. We also investigated whether this could generate local fractionated electrograms and whether the re-entrant wave could 'escape' and cause a global tachyarrhythmia due to dynamic changes at a connecting isthmus. METHODS AND RESULTS: To precisely control and explore the geometrical properties of EICPs, we used light-gated depolarizing ion channels and patterned illumination for creating specific non-conducting regions in silico and in vitro. Insight from these studies was used for complementary investigations in virtual human atria with localized fibrosis. We demonstrated that a re-entrant tachyarrhythmia can exist locally within an EICP with SR prevailing in the surrounding tissue and identified conditions under which re-entry could escape from the EICP, thereby converting a local latent arrhythmic source into an active driver with global impact on the heart. In a realistic three-dimensional model of human atria, unipolar epicardial pseudo-electrograms showed fractionation at the site of 'trapped re-entry' in coexistence with regular SR electrograms elsewhere in the atria. Upon escape of the re-entrant wave, acute arrhythmia onset was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Trapped re-entry as a latent source of arrhythmogenesis can explain the sudden onset of focal arrhythmias, which are able to transgress into AF. Our study might help to improve the effectiveness of ablation of aberrant cardiac electrical signals in clinical practice.

Brief report: Misinterpretation of coculture differentiation experiments by unintended labeling of cardiomyocytes through secondary transduction: delusions and solutions.

Cardiomyogenic differentiation of stem cells can be accomplished by coculture with cardiomyocytes (CMCs). To facilitate their identification, stem cells are often labeled through viral transduction with a fluorescent protein. A second marker to distinguish stem cell-derived CMCs from native CMCs is rarely used. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of secondary transduction of unlabeled neonatal rat (nr) CMCs after coculture with human cells that had been transduced 0, 7, or 14 days earlier with a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G protein-pseudotyped lentiviral vector (LV) encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP). To reduce secondary LV transfer, GFP-labeled cells were incubated with non-heat-inactivated human serum (NHI) or with VSV-neutralizing rabbit serum (αVSV). Heat-inactivated human serum and normal rabbit serum were used as controls. Immunostaining showed substantial GFP gene transfer to nrCMCs in cocultures started at the day of transduction indicated by the presence of GFP-positive/human lamin A/C-negative nrCMCs. The extent of secondary transduction was significantly reduced in cocultures initiated 7 days after GFP transduction, while it was completely abolished when human cells were added to nrCMCs 14 days post-transduction. Both NHI and αVSV significantly reduced the occurrence of secondary transduction compared to their controls. However, under all circumstances, GFP-labeled human cells had to be passaged for 14 days prior to coculture initiation to prevent any horizontal GFP gene transfer to the nrCMCs. This study emphasizes that differentiation experiments involving the use of viral vector-marked donor cells should be interpreted with caution and describes measures to reduce/prevent secondary transduction.

Gap junctional coupling with cardiomyocytes is necessary but not sufficient for cardiomyogenic differentiation of cocultured human mesenchymal stem cells.

Gap junctional coupling is important for functional integration of transplanted cells with host myocardium. However, the role of gap junctions in cardiomyogenic differentiation of transplanted cells has not been directly investigated. The objective of this work is to study the role of connexin43 (Cx43) in cardiomyogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Knockdown of Cx43 gene expression (Cx43↓) was established in naturally Cx43-rich fetal amniotic membrane (AM) hMSCs, while Cx43 was overexpressed (Cx43↑) in inherently Cx43-poor adult adipose tissue (AT) hMSCs. The hMSCs were exposed to cardiomyogenic stimuli by coincubation with neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (nrCMCs) for 10 days. Differentiation was assessed by immunostaining and whole-cell current clamping. To establish whether the effects of Cx43 knockdown could be rescued, Cx45 was overexpressed in Cx43↓ fetal AM hMSCs. Ten days after coincubation, not a single Cx43↓ fetal AM hMSC, control adult AT MSC, or Cx43↑ adult AT mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) expressed α-actinin, while control fetal AM hMSCs did (2.2% ± 0.4%, n = 5,000). Moreover, functional cardiomyogenic differentiation, based on action potential recordings, occurred only in control fetal AM hMSCs. Of interest, Cx45 overexpression in Cx43↓ fetal AM hMSCs restored their ability to undergo cardiomyogenesis (1.6% ± 0.4%, n = 2,500) in coculture with nrCMCs. Gap junctional coupling is required for differentiation of fetal AM hMSCs into functional CMCs after coincubation with nrCMCs. Heterocellular gap junctional coupling thus plays an important role in the transfer of cardiomyogenic signals from nrCMCs to fetal hMSCs but is not sufficient to induce cardiomyogenic differentiation in adult AT hMSCs.

Optical ventricular cardioversion by local optogenetic targeting and LED implantation in a cardiomyopathic rat model.

AIMS: Ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) are common in the pathologically remodelled heart. These arrhythmias can be lethal, necessitating acute treatment like electrical cardioversion to restore normal rhythm. Recently, it has been proposed that cardioversion may also be realized via optically controlled generation of bioelectricity by the arrhythmic heart itself through optogenetics and therefore without the need of traumatizing high-voltage shocks. However, crucial mechanistic and translational aspects of this strategy have remained largely unaddressed. Therefore, we investigated optogenetic termination of VTs (i) in the pathologically remodelled heart using an (ii) implantable multi-LED device for (iii) in vivo closed-chest, local illumination. METHODS AND RESULTS: In order to mimic a clinically relevant sequence of events, transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was applied to adult male Wistar rats before optogenetic modification. This modification took place 3 weeks later by intravenous delivery of adeno-associated virus vectors encoding red-activatable channelrhodopsin or Citrine for control experiments. At 8-10 weeks after TAC, VTs were induced ex vivo and in vivo, followed by programmed local illumination of the ventricular apex by a custom-made implanted multi-LED device. This resulted in effective and repetitive VT termination in the remodelled adult rat heart after optogenetic modification, leading to sustained restoration of sinus rhythm in the intact animal. Mechanistically, studies on the single cell and tissue level revealed collectively that, despite the cardiac remodelling, there were no significant differences in bioelectricity generation and subsequent transmembrane voltage responses between diseased and control animals, thereby providing insight into the observed robustness of optogenetic VT termination. CONCLUSION: Our results show that implant-based optical cardioversion of VTs is feasible in the pathologically remodelled heart in vivo after local optogenetic targeting because of preserved optical control over bioelectricity generation. These findings add novel mechanistic and translational insight into optical ventricular cardioversion.

Forced alignment of mesenchymal stem cells undergoing cardiomyogenic differentiation affects functional integration with cardiomyocyte cultures.

Alignment of cardiomyocytes (CMCs) contributes to the anisotropic (direction-related) tissue structure of the heart, thereby facilitating efficient electrical and mechanical activation of the ventricles. This study aimed to investigate the effects of forced alignment of stem cells during cardiomyogenic differentiation on their functional integration with CMC cultures. Labeled neonatal rat (nr) mesenchymal stem cells (nrMSCs) were allowed to differentiate into functional heart muscle cells in different cell-alignment patterns during 10 days of coculture with nrCMCs. Development of functional cellular properties was assessed by measuring impulse transmission across these stem cells between 2 adjacent nrCMC fields, cultured onto microelectrode arrays and previously separated by a laser-dissected channel (230+/-10 microm) for nrMSC transplantation. Coatings in these channels were microabraded in a direction (1) parallel or (2) perpendicular to the channel or were (3) left unabraded to establish different cell patterns. Application of cells onto microabraded coatings resulted in anisotropic cell alignment within the channel. Application on unabraded coatings resulted in isotropic (random) alignment. After coculture, conduction across seeded nrMSCs occurred from day 1 (perpendicular and isotropic) or day 6 (parallel) onward. Conduction velocity across nrMSCs at day 10 was highest in the perpendicular (11+/-0.9 cm/sec; n=12), intermediate in the isotropic (7.1+/-1 cm/sec; n=11) and lowest in the parallel configuration (4.9+/-1 cm/sec; n=11) (P<0.01). nrCMCs and fibroblasts served as positive and negative control, respectively. Also, immunocytochemical analysis showed alignment-dependent increases in connexin 43 expression. In conclusion, forced alignment of nrMSCs undergoing cardiomyogenic differentiation affects the time course and degree of functional integration with surrounding cardiac tissue.

Interaction between myofibroblasts and stem cells in the fibrotic heart: balancing between deterioration and regeneration.

Signalling between the various cell types in the heart has been investigated for decades. However, relatively little is known about the interplay between the cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, which help to maintain myocardial tissue structure and function, and resident cardiac or extracardiac stem cells involved in tissue homeostasis and repair. Much of our knowledge about these interactions is derived from experimental animal models, especially those of myocardial infarction and stem cell transplantation. However, it still remains incompletely understood how stem cell therapy could modulate cardiac fibrosis in a beneficial manner and, how on the other hand, fibrotic processes in the heart may affect the therapeutic potential of stem cell therapy. A detailed and mechanistic insight into these matters would expedite the therapeutic optimization of cardiac cell therapy for the fibrotic heart and may even provide a basis for future biological therapies aiming for a reversal of cardiac fibrosis. Therefore, the main focus of this review is to discuss interactions between myofibroblasts and stem cells, especially in the adult and diseased, fibrotic myocardium, and emphasize those aspects that require more investigation using dedicated models and tools.

Engraftment patterns of human adult mesenchymal stem cells expose electrotonic and paracrine proarrhythmic mechanisms in myocardial cell cultures.

BACKGROUND: After intramyocardial injection, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may engraft and influence host myocardium. However, engraftment rate and pattern of distribution are difficult to control in vivo, hampering assessment of potential adverse effects. In this study, the role of the engraftment patterns of MSCs on arrhythmicity in controllable in vitro models is investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cocultures of 4×10(5) neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and 7% or 28% adult human MSCs (hMSCs) in diffuse or clustered distribution patterns were prepared. Electrophysiological effects were studied by optical mapping and patch-clamping. In diffuse cocultures, hMSCs dose-dependently decreased neonatal rat cardiomyocyte excitability, slowed conduction, and prolonged action potential duration until 90% repolarization (APD90). Triggered activity (14% versus 0% in controls) and increased inducibility of re-entry (53% versus 6% in controls) were observed in 28% hMSC cocultures. MSC clusters increased APD90, slowed conduction locally, and increased re-entry inducibility (23%), without increasing triggered activity. Pharmacological heterocellular electric uncoupling increased excitability and conduction velocity to 133% in 28% hMSC cocultures, but did not alter APD90. Transwell experiments showed that hMSCs dose-dependently increased APD90, APD dispersion, inducibility of re-entry and affected specific ion channel protein levels, whereas excitability was unaltered. Incubation with hMSC-derived exosomes did not increase APD in neonatal rat cardiomyocyte cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Adult hMSCs affect arrhythmicity of neonatal rat cardiomyocyte cultures by heterocellular coupling leading to depolarization-induced conduction slowing and by direct release of paracrine factors that negatively affect repolarization rate. The extent of these detrimental effects depends on the number and distribution pattern of hMSCs. These results suggest that caution should be urged against potential adverse effects of myocardial hMSC engraftment.

Human embryonic and fetal mesenchymal stem cells differentiate toward three different cardiac lineages in contrast to their adult counterparts.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show unexplained differences in differentiation potential. In this study, differentiation of human (h) MSCs derived from embryonic, fetal and adult sources toward cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle cells was investigated. Labeled hMSCs derived from embryonic stem cells (hESC-MSCs), fetal umbilical cord, bone marrow, amniotic membrane and adult bone marrow and adipose tissue were co-cultured with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (nrCMCs) or cardiac fibroblasts (nrCFBs) for 10 days, and also cultured under angiogenic conditions. Cardiomyogenesis was assessed by human-specific immunocytological analysis, whole-cell current-clamp recordings, human-specific qRT-PCR and optical mapping. After co-culture with nrCMCs, significantly more hESC-MSCs than fetal hMSCs stained positive for α-actinin, whereas adult hMSCs stained negative. Furthermore, functional cardiomyogenic differentiation, based on action potential recordings, was shown to occur, but not in adult hMSCs. Of all sources, hESC-MSCs expressed most cardiac-specific genes. hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs contained significantly higher basal levels of connexin43 than adult hMSCs and co-culture with nrCMCs increased expression. After co-culture with nrCFBs, hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs did not express α-actinin and connexin43 expression was decreased. Conduction velocity (CV) in co-cultures of nrCMCs and hESC-MSCs was significantly higher than in co-cultures with fetal or adult hMSCs. In angiogenesis bioassays, only hESC-MSCs and fetal hMSCs were able to form capillary-like structures, which stained for smooth muscle and endothelial cell markers.Human embryonic and fetal MSCs differentiate toward three different cardiac lineages, in contrast to adult MSCs. Cardiomyogenesis is determined by stimuli from the cellular microenvironment, where connexin43 may play an important role.

Antiproliferative treatment of myofibroblasts prevents arrhythmias in vitro by limiting myofibroblast-induced depolarization.

AIMS: Cardiac fibrosis is associated with increased incidence of cardiac arrhythmias, but the underlying proarrhythmic mechanisms remain incompletely understood and antiarrhythmic therapies are still suboptimal. This study tests the hypothesis that myofibroblast (MFB) proliferation leads to tachyarrhythmias by altering the excitability of cardiomyocytes (CMCs) and that inhibition of MFB proliferation would thus lower the incidence of such arrhythmias. METHODS AND RESULTS: Endogenous MFBs in neonatal rat CMC cultures proliferated freely or under control of different dosages of antiproliferative agents (mitomycin-C and paclitaxel). At Days 4 and 9, arrhythmogeneity of these cultures was studied by optical and multi-electrode mapping. Cultures were also studied for protein expression and electrophysiological properties. MFB proliferation slowed conduction from 15.3 ± 3.5 cm/s (Day 4) to 8.8 ± 0.3 cm/s (Day 9) (n = 75, P < 0.01), whereas MFB numbers increased to 37.4 ± 1.7 and 62.0 ± 2%. At Day 9, 81.3% of these cultures showed sustained spontaneous reentrant arrhythmias. However, only 2.6% of mitomycin-C-treated cultures (n = 76, P < 0.0001) showed tachyarrhythmias, and ectopic activity was decreased. Arrhythmia incidence was drug-dose dependent and strongly related to MFB proliferation. Paclitaxel treatment yielded similar results. CMCs were functionally coupled to MFBs and more depolarized in cultures with ongoing MFB proliferation in which only L-type Ca(2+)-channel blockade terminated 100% of reentrant arrhythmias, in contrast to Na(+) blockade (36%, n = 12). CONCLUSION: Proliferation of MFBs in myocardial cultures gives rise to spontaneous, sustained reentrant tachyarrhythmias. Antiproliferative treatment of such cultures prevents the occurrence of arrhythmias by limiting MFB-induced depolarization, conduction slowing, and ectopic activity. This study could provide a rationale for a new treatment option for cardiac arrhythmias.