Functional heart recovery in an adult mammal, the spiny mouse. (1st September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qi, Yanfei; Dasa, Osama; Maden, Malcolm; Vohra, Ravneet; Batra, Abhinandan; Walter, Glenn; Yarrow, Joshua F.; Aranda, Juan M.; Raizada, Mohan K.; Pepine, Carl J.
• Is Part Of: International journal of cardiology. Volume 338(2021)
• Page Start: 196
• Page End: 203
• Publication Date: 2021-09-01
• Subjects: Ischemic heart disease -- Myocardial infarction -- Myocardial regeneration -- Tissue remodeling -- Acomys; Cardiology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.12
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.06.015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-5273

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Ischemic heart disease and the resulting heart failure continue to carry high morbidity and mortality, and a breakthrough in our understanding of this disorder is needed. The adult spiny mouse ( Acomys cahirinus ) has evolved the remarkable capacity to regenerate full-thickness skin tissue, including microvasculature and cartilage, without fibrosis or scarring. We hypothesized that lack of scarring and resulting functional regeneration also applies to the adult Acomys heart. Methods and results: We compared responses of the Acomys heart to CD1 outbred Mus heart following acute left anterior descending coronary artery ligation to induce myocardial infarction. Both Acomys and Mus hearts showed decreased ejection fraction (EF) after ligation. However, Acomys hearts showed significant EF recovery to pre-ligation values over four weeks. Histological analysis showed comparable infarct area 24-h after ligation with a similar collateral flow in both species' hearts, but subsequently, Acomys displayed reduced infarct size, regenerated microvasculature, and increased cell proliferative activity in the infarcted area. Conclusions: These observations suggest that adult Acomys displays remarkable cardiac recovery properties after acute coronary artery occlusion and may be a useful model to understand functional recovery better. Translational perspective: Adult Acomys provides a novel mammalian model to further investigate the cardioprotective and regenerative signaling mechanisms in adult mammals. This opens the door to breakthrough treatment strategies for the injured myocardium and help millions of patients with heart failure secondary to tissue injury with irreversible damage. Highlights: The adult spiny mouse ( Acomys ) has evolved the capacity to regenerate full-thickness skin tissue without scarring. We investigated response of the Acomys heart to myocardial injury. Acomys hearts showed significant EF recovery to pre-ligation values over 4 weeks. Reduced infarct size, regenerated microvasculature, and increased cell proliferative activity were seen. Adult Acomys provides a novel model for cardioprotective and regenerative signaling mechanisms in adult mammals.