Chaigne, S. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2023

Increased spontaneous Ca2+ activity in Cardiac Purkinje cells after myocardial infarction; A consequence of a dramatic shift of SERCA isoforms as potential adaptation to acute ischemia?

BackgroundStudies of Purkinje cells (Pcells) from canine hearts have suggested an increase of Ca2+-release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) but also reported a potential augmentation of SR-Ca2+-uptake after MI. Abnormal increase of SR-Ca2+-uptake in heart cells is novel and contrasts with the reduction of this function in cells of failing heart. Our study examined the origin of this increased SR-Ca2+-uptake by considering a change in SR-Ca2+ pump (SERCA2) expression in Purkinje fibers (PFs) post MI. MethodsPcells were isolated from canine hearts 48Hrs post MI. Intracellular Ca2+-activity was captured by confocal microscopy. Purkinje-typical Ca2+ events were analyzed to probe the regional Ca2+-dynamics within Pcells. A Purkinje-specific numerical model assisted in the interpretation of Ca2+-anomalies detected in Pcells Ca2+-transients. SR-Ca2+-uptake system was studied by immunofluorescence in Pcells from canine, ovine and human hearts post MI. SERCA protein and gene expressions in PFs and myocardium were measured by Western Blots and RT-qPCR in a classical porcine model of MI. Results48Hrs after MI, Pcells showed 60% increase in spark-rate and 37% acceleration of Ca2+ wave decay. In the model of normal wave, 35% increase of Ca2+-uptake rate reproduced the actual post-MI wave alterations. In apparent contrast with increased Ca2+-uptake rate, SERCA2 protein expression was reduced in canine, sheep, and human Pcells after MI. In pig MI model, the protein level of cardiac-specific SERCA2-splicing variant SERCA2a was reduced by 52% in the whole infarcted ventricle whereas the "non-cardiac" SERCA2b level was increased by 120%. In the infarcted regions, PFs showed 30% downregulation of SERCA2a gene expression and 630% upregulation of SERCA2b. ConclusionOur results confirm that elevated spontaneous Ca2+-activity in post-MI PFs is due to increased SR-Ca2+-uptake within Pcells. Data suggest that a replacement of "cardiac" SERCA2a by the "non-cardiac" SERCA2b sub-isoform in cardiac cells in response to ischemia is implicated in this alteration.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

CXCR4 blockade alleviates pulmonary and cardiac outcomes in early COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent respiratory disease lacking effective treatment. Focusing on early COPD should help to discover disease modifying therapies. We aimed to examine the role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in early COPD from both human samples and murine models. Blood samples and lung tissues of early COPD patients and controls were obtained in order to analyse CXCL12 and CXCR4 levels. To generate an early COPD model, ten-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) for 10 weeks and intranasal instillations of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) for the last 5 weeks to mimic exacerbations. CXCR4 expressing cells number was increased in the blood of patients with COPD, as well as in the blood of exposed mice. Lung CXCL12 expression was higher in both early COPD patients and exposed mice. Exposed mice presented mild airway obstruction, peri-bronchial fibrosis and right heart thickening. The density of fibrocytes expressing CXCR4 was increased in the bronchial submucosa of these mice. Conditional inactivation of CXCR4 at adult stage as well as pharmacological inhibition of CXCR4 with plerixafor injections improved lung function, reduced inflammation, and protected against CS and poly-(I:C)-induced airway and cardiac remodeling. CXCR4-/- and plerixafor-treated mice also had less CXCR4-expressing circulating cells and a lower density of peri-bronchial fibrocytes. We demonstrate that targeting CXCR4 has beneficial effects in an animal model of early COPD and provide a framework to translate these preclinical findings to clinical settings in a drug repurposing approach. Clinical relevanceWe demonstrate that CXCL12/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of early COPD. Inhibition of this axis improves lung function and cardiac tissue remodeling, supporting the future use of CXCR4 inhibitors to slow down the progression of the disease.

pathology↗