Cardiovascular Development in Embryonic and Larval Fishes

AbstractCongenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common class of human birth defects, with a prevalence of 0.9% of births. However, two-thirds of cases have an unknown cause, and many of these are thought to be caused by in utero exposure to environmental teratogens. Here we identify a potential teratogen causing CHD in mice: maternal iron deficiency (ID). We show that maternal ID in mice causes severe cardiovascular defects in the offspring. These defects likely arise from increased retinoic acid signalling in ID embryos. The defects can be prevented by iron administration in early pregnancy. It has also been proposed that teratogen exposure may potentiate the effects of genetic predisposition to CHD through gene–environment interaction. Here we show that maternal ID increases the severity of heart and craniofacial defects in a mouse model of Down syndrome. It will be important to understand if the effects of maternal ID seen here in mice may have clinical implications for women.

Download Full-text

Perspectives on Larval Behaviour in Biophysical Modelling of Larval Dispersal in Marine, Demersal Fishes

Oceans ◽

10.3390/oceans2010001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 1-25

Author(s):

Jeffrey M. Leis

Keyword(s):

Fish Larvae ◽

Behavioural Change ◽

Larval Fishes ◽

Larval Behaviour ◽

Key Issues ◽

Modelling Effort ◽

Validation Research ◽

Vertical Positioning ◽

Study Species ◽

Demersal Fishes

Biophysical dispersal models for marine fish larvae are widely used by marine ecologists and managers of fisheries and marine protected areas to predict movement of larval fishes during their pelagic larval duration (PLD). Over the past 25 years, it has become obvious that behaviour—primarily vertical positioning, horizontal swimming and orientation—of larvae during their PLD can strongly influence dispersal outcomes. Yet, most published models do not include even one of these behaviours, and only a tiny fraction include all three. Furthermore, there is no clarity on how behaviours should be incorporated into models, nor on how to obtain the quantitative, empirical data needed to parameterize models. The PLD is a period of morphological, physiological and behavioural change, which presents challenges for modelling. The present paper aims to encourage the inclusion of larval behaviour in biophysical dispersal models for larvae of marine demersal fishes by providing practical suggestions, advice and insights about obtaining and incorporating behaviour of larval fishes into such models based on experience. Key issues are features of different behavioural metrics, incorporation of ontogenetic, temporal, spatial and among-individual variation, and model validation. Research on behaviour of larvae of study species should be part of any modelling effort.

Download Full-text

Filamin A Regulates Cardiovascular Remodeling

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22126555 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (12) ◽

pp. 6555

Author(s):

Sashidar Bandaru ◽

Chandu Ala ◽

Alex-Xianghua Zhou ◽

Levent M. Akyürek

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factors ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Cell Function ◽

Actin Binding ◽

Cardiovascular Development ◽

Filamin A ◽

Cardiovascular Malformations ◽

Experimental Animal Models ◽

Actin Networks ◽

Cardiovascular Remodeling

Filamin A (FLNA) is a large actin-binding cytoskeletal protein that is important for cell motility by stabilizing actin networks and integrating them with cell membranes. Interestingly, a C-terminal fragment of FLNA can be cleaved off by calpain to stimulate adaptive angiogenesis by transporting multiple transcription factors into the nucleus. Recently, increasing evidence suggests that FLNA participates in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, in which the interaction of FLNA with transcription factors and/or cell signaling molecules dictate the function of vascular cells. Localized FLNA mutations associate with cardiovascular malformations in humans. A lack of FLNA in experimental animal models disrupts cell migration during embryogenesis and causes anomalies, including heart and vessels, similar to human malformations. More recently, it was shown that FLNA mediates the progression of myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis. Thus, these latest findings identify FLNA as an important novel mediator of cardiovascular development and remodeling, and thus a potential target for therapy. In this update, we summarized the literature on filamin biology with regard to cardiovascular cell function.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Spaceflight and Microgravity on the Human Islet-1+ Cardiovascular Progenitor Cell Transcriptome

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22073577 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

pp. 3577

Author(s):

Victor Camberos ◽

Jonathan Baio ◽

Ana Mandujano ◽

Aida F. Martinez ◽

Leonard Bailey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Stage ◽

Space Station ◽

Cardiovascular Development ◽

Support Cell ◽

Cell Transcriptome ◽

Islet 1 ◽

Life On Earth ◽

The Impact ◽

And Oxidative Stress ◽

Insight Into

Understanding the transcriptomic impact of microgravity and the spaceflight environment is relevant for future missions in space and microgravity-based applications designed to benefit life on Earth. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of adult and neonatal cardiovascular progenitors following culture aboard the International Space Station for 30 days and compared it to the transcriptome of clonally identical cells cultured on Earth. Cardiovascular progenitors acquire a gene expression profile representative of an early-stage, dedifferentiated, stem-like state, regardless of age. Signaling pathways that support cell proliferation and survival were induced by spaceflight along with transcripts related to cell cycle re-entry, cardiovascular development, and oxidative stress. These findings contribute new insight into the multifaceted influence of reduced gravitational environments.

Download Full-text

Histone Deacetylases in Cardiovascular Development and Disease

Heart Development and Regeneration ◽

10.1016/b978-0-12-381332-9.00032-3 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 715-727

Author(s):

Bryan D. Young ◽

Eric N. Olson

Keyword(s):

Histone Deacetylases ◽

Cardiovascular Development

Download Full-text

Tissue clearing and imaging methods for cardiovascular development

iScience ◽

10.1016/j.isci.2021.102387 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 102387

Author(s):

Hana Kolesová ◽

Veronika Olejníčková ◽

Alena Kvasilová ◽

Martina Gregorovičová ◽

David Sedmera

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Development ◽

Imaging Methods ◽

Tissue Clearing

Download Full-text

Peripheral Blood MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Myocardial Damage in Acute Viral Myocarditis

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes12030420 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 420

Author(s):

Maria Marketou ◽

Joanna Kontaraki ◽

Alexandros Patrianakos ◽

George Kochiadakis ◽

Ioannis Anastasiou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Peripheral Blood ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Troponin I ◽

Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction ◽

Global Longitudinal Strain ◽

Viral Myocarditis ◽

Myocardial Damage ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Cardiovascular Development ◽

Acute Viral Myocarditis

Background: microRNAs (miRs) have emerged as important modulators of cardiovascular development and disease. Our aim was to determine whether cardiac-related miRs such as miR-21-5p and miR-1-3p were differentially expressed in acute viral myocarditis and whether any of them was related with the extent of myocardial damage and left ventricular dysfunction. Methods: We enrolled 40 patients with acute viral myocarditis. Blood samples were taken on admission and miRs expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were quantified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: miR-21-5p, miR-1-3p were significantly elevated in acute myocarditis. miR-21-5p levels showed a strong correlation with global longitudinal strain (r = 0.71, p < 0.01), while miR-1-3p had significant correlations with troponin I (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The expression of miR-21-5p and miR-1-3p in peripheral blood is increased in acute viral myocarditis, and this increase is correlated with myocardial damage and indicative of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in these patients.

Download Full-text