The effects of left ventricular unloading on cardiomyocyte regeneration

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26461128
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: UNNO Kazumasa 名古屋大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (40709119)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 心筋細胞 / 細胞分裂 / 多倍体細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Over the last decade, increasing evidence has suggested that the adult mammalian heart exhibits regenerative capacity due to proliferation of existing cardiomyocytes. It is unclear, however, if external stress may reactivate or upregulate the endogenous cardiac regenerative capacity. Acute left ventricle pressure overload was produced by constriction of ascending aorta (AAC) in adult mouse hearts. One week following AAC, ventricular afterload was normalized in a subset of animal through removal of the aortic constriction (de-AAC). Interestingly, acute decrease in ventricular overload with de-AAC was marked by an increase in cardiomyocyte proliferation. Those cardiomyocytes positive for thymidine analog labeling were characteristic of newly generated cardiomyocytes, with smaller size and single diploid nuclei. Moreover, newly generated cardiomyocytes were found to reside in close proximity to one another, consistent with regional stimulation of cellular proliferation.

Free Research Field

再生医療