改良气管插管法在小鼠心肌梗死模型制备中的应用

目的：小鼠心肌梗死模型制备中采用改良气管插管方法,提高模型制备成功率。方法：小切口暴露小鼠气管,直视下进行经口气管插管,左冠状动脉前降支结扎制备心肌梗死模型,观察、记录小鼠心脏颜色和心电图、术后14d存活情况和心肌组织病理学变化。结果：采用改良气管插管,成功完成40只小鼠心肌梗死模型制作,均可见冠状动脉结扎后,心室前壁颜色变暗,心电图Ⅱ导联ST段明显抬高。除去手术过程中意外死亡,术后14d存活27只,心肌梗死小鼠实际成活率达到87．1％。开胸后,肉眼可见模型组小鼠左室心腔明显扩大,心室壁变薄;病理切片HE染色,镜下可见心肌纤维断裂溶解,心肌细胞坏死,大量炎性细胞浸润。结论：在小鼠心肌梗死模型制备中,采用改良气管插管法,操作简单、易行、创伤小,模型制备成功率高。     

小鼠心梗模型的建立与无创评价

目的建立小鼠的心肌梗死模型,提高动物存活率,并使用心脏超声进行无创心功能评价。方法昆明雄性小鼠20只,气管插管后由左侧第4肋间进胸,结扎冠状动脉左前降支建立小鼠心肌梗死模型,在模型建立的前1 d和术后1 d、1周分别使用心脏超声检测左室收缩末直径、舒张末直径、缩短分数和射血分数,并于术后第8天进行病理检查。结果小鼠心肌梗死模型建立过程中早期死亡率10%（2/20）,术后1周内死亡率15%（3/20）,经过超声评价,造模成功率为75%（15/20）。小鼠心功能明显下降,射血分数由手术前的（92.1±3.45）%下降到术后1周的（49.8±14.20）%,缩短分数由手术前的（61.4±2.85）%下降到（26.1±9.01）%;心室明显扩大,左室收缩末直径由（13.9±1.98）μm扩大到（36.5±7.37）μm,舒张末直径由（35.9±3.12）μm扩大到（48.9±6.05）μm。病理学检查见明显瘢痕形成。结论通过结扎冠状动脉左前降支的方法建立了小鼠心肌梗死模型并可以使用超声心动图评价这一模型。     

介入法建立猪急性心肌梗死再灌注模型及其效果评价

目的:用介入法行球囊堵闭猪冠状动脉左前降支(LAD)建立急性心肌梗死再灌注动物模型并评价其效果。方法:选用小型雄性家猪11只。麻醉后经股动脉或颈总动脉置入经皮腔内冠状动脉成形术(PTCA)球囊至冠状动脉LAD远端,堵闭血流60 min。术中持续静脉滴注胺碘酮。60min后负压撤除球囊及鞘管。行超声心动图、磁共振成像(MRI)评价心肌梗死模型建立情况,并行病理分析。结果:2只猪死于心肌梗死模型制备,存活的9只猪经超声心动图、MRI检测显示梗死部位均为左心室前壁、心尖区,部分模型累及室间隔,左室下壁,并有室壁瘤、室速等心肌梗死常见并发症的发生。结论:运用介入法经PTCA球囊LAD可成功建立猪急性心肌梗死模型。这种模型重复性强,可控性好,模型的梗死部位基本一致,易于术后评价。     

心导管介入冠状动脉封堵兔急性心肌梗死模型的建立

目的应用心导管介入方法封堵冠状动脉制备兔急性心肌梗死模型。方法选择雄性新西兰兔,先行冠状动脉造影,利用导引钢丝将微导管置于左前降支远端,将高分子栓塞剂与碘油混合配制成封闭胶,经微导管注入血管,造成急性心肌梗死。术前、术中和术后l周记录心电图变化。实验终点切取心肌组织标本分别行苏木素一伊红（H．E）染色、氯化硝基四氮唑蓝（NBT）染色、免疫组化染色。结果造模动物20只,存活16只。冠脉造影显示封闭胶持续滞留于左前降支远端,提示血管完全堵塞。心电图提示存在动态变化,ST段抬高,病理性Q波逐渐形成。心脏大体观测提示左心室前侧壁呈灰白色为梗死区。E染色提示梗死区局部纤维组织增生、疤痕形成、钙盐沉积,缺血区肌束变性、炎症细胞浸润,符合典型心肌梗死的病理变化。NBT染色后测定梗死面积为28．32％±5．21％。免疫组化染色提示缺血区CD34阳性面积和血管新生密度明显高于梗死区及正常组织区（P〈0．05）。结论通过心导管介入方法制备兔急性心肌梗死模型成功,避免了开胸损伤对实验结果的影响,更符合临床急性心肌梗死的病理特点。     

适用于Langendorff离体心脏灌流大鼠心肌梗死动物模型的建立

目的建立适用于Lansendorff离体心脏灌流大鼠心肌梗死的动物模型,为评价干细胞移植对急性心肌梗死后的心功能变化提供基础。方法选用Sprague-Dawley（SD）大鼠16只,结扎其左冠状动脉前降支中远1/3处,在结扎前后通过MPA多导生理记录仪连续描记心电图;4周后再次开胸进行Langendorff离体心脏灌流测定左室心功能和心肌组织病理学检查;另选仅开关胸后存活的10只SD大鼠作为对照组。结果造模成功率为62．50％（10／16）;心电图动态监测在冠脉结扎后出现ST-T抬高的融合波,30min后可见病理性Q波;4周后Langendorff离体心脏灌流装置系统检测显示左室收缩压峰值（LVSP）、左室内压等容相最大上升及下降速率（＋dp／dtmax,-dp/dtmax）等指标较对照组降低,左室舒张末压峰值（LVEDP）则反之;病理组织切片可见结扎区域心肌纤维排列紊乱、坏死心肌被纤维组织取代。结论通过结扎左冠脉前降支的方法,4周后能够形成稳定的适用于Langendorff离体心脏灌流的心肌梗死动物模型,该模型能应用于干细胞移植对心脏功能影响的研究。     

冠状动脉左前降支结扎对巨噬细胞消除模型构建的影响

目的 为深入研究了解巨噬细胞在心肌再生过程中的作用机制，探讨CD11b^DTR新生小鼠构建心肌梗死模型后消除巨噬细胞的可行性。方法 将1日龄CD11b^DTR小鼠结扎冠状动脉左前降支后注射白喉毒素(diphtheria toxin, DT)消除巨噬细胞，建立巨噬细胞消除的心肌梗死模型，进而探究巨噬细胞在心梗过程中的作用。结果 将出生1 d的CD11b^DTR小鼠结扎心脏冠脉左前降支构建心梗模型后，注射DT无法实现巨噬细胞的显著消除；增加给药频率或给药浓度仍无法明显消除巨噬细胞；同时增加给药频率和浓度虽然取得了明显的巨噬细胞消除效果，但是DT组小鼠成活率明显下降，成活小鼠生存状态极差，无法用于后续实验。结论 CD11b^DTR小鼠在生理情况下注射DT后能显著消除心脏中巨噬细胞；但是CD11b^DTR小鼠进行冠状动脉结扎后，无法通过注射DT得到巨噬细胞消除的心梗模型小鼠，可能是冠状动脉结扎使DT无法正常输送至心脏，继而无法有效作用于心脏内的巨噬细胞的原因所导致。     

抗细胞趋化因子CCL21单克隆抗体处理对小鼠急性心肌梗死后左心室重构及心功能的影响

目的：探讨抗CCL21单克隆抗体处理对小鼠急性心肌梗死后心室重构和心功能的影响。方法：C57BL/6小鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组和CCL21单抗干预组,并进一步分为1、3、7和21 d亚组。采用结扎冠状动脉左前降支的方法构建小鼠急性心肌梗死模型,在冠状动脉结扎后5 min和第3天,模型组小鼠静脉注射isotype-IgG 1.0 mg,CCL21单抗干预组小鼠静脉注射山羊抗小鼠CCL21单克隆抗体1.0 mg。建模后,Western blot法检测急性心肌梗死后第1、3、7天心肌组织CCR7表达,检测急性心肌梗死后第7天心肌组织MMP-2和MMP-9表达;建模后第1、3、7天,ELISA法检测各组小鼠血清TNF-α和IL-6水平,每组检测8只小鼠。在建模后第7天和21天,超声心动图法评估左心室功能变化。结果：与假手术组比较,模型组小鼠急性心肌梗死后血清CCL21、TNF-α和IL-6及心肌组织CCR7、MMP-2、MMP-9明显升高（P<0.05）;与模型组比较,CCL21单抗干预组小鼠血清TNF-α和IL-6及梗死区心肌组织MMP-9水平明显降低（P<0.05）。结论：抗CCL21单克隆抗体处理,通过抑制梗死后炎症反应及MMP-9表达水平发挥防止小鼠心脏重构和保护左心室功能的效应。     

大鼠自主呼吸下建立急性心肌梗死模型

目的大鼠自主呼吸情况下,快捷、简便地建立大鼠急性心肌梗死模型。方法 180～220gSD大鼠60只,于胸骨左缘第4-5肋间隙切开皮层作荷包缝合,逐层钝性分离肌肉,挤出心脏,快速结扎左冠状动脉前降支(LAD)后,送回心脏同时挤压胸廓,拉紧荷包以建立心肌梗死模型。记录结扎前、结扎后3h心电图;结扎3h后取出心脏,冰冻切片TTC染色。结果 50只大鼠成功建立心肌梗死模型,模型成功率为83.33%。心电图显示结扎冠脉后出现R波峰降低,ST段拱背抬高及ST-T融合,TTC染色后左心室出现明显灰白色梗死区。结论本方法可在大鼠自主呼吸情况下,较短的时间内以简便的手术、较小的创伤建立大鼠急性心肌梗死模型。     

液氮冷冻大鼠左冠状动脉前降支中上1／3所支配区域建立心肌梗死模型

目的探讨大鼠左冠状动脉前降支中上1／3所支配的区域液氮冷冻处理后对心肌形态学及心功能的影响,以建立适合移植干细胞再生修复心肌梗死研究的一种新的大鼠心肌梗死模型制作方法。方法80只雄性SD大鼠,随机分为3组即：冷冻组、结扎组、对照组。大鼠麻醉后,行气管插管连通动物呼吸机,打开胸廓暴露心脏,用特制的直径为0．6cm冷冻头置入液氮中冷冻降温后迅速冷冻大鼠左冠状动脉前降支中上1／3所支配的区域,或结扎左冠状动脉前降支中上1／3处。分别于处理后1d、3d、7d、14d、28d观察心脏病理组织学变化,并于处理28d后检测心功能的变化。结果在液氮冷冻大鼠心脏后,大鼠心肌组织出现凝固性坏死,继而有肉芽组织长人梗死灶内,最后形成疤痕。用液氮冷冻法可成功复制心肌梗死大鼠动物模型。与冠状动脉结扎法相比较,操作简单,手术时间短,死亡率低．心肌梗死面积变异小。结论液氮冷冻法作为一种复制心肌梗死模型的方法,有其自身的优势．可用于心肌梗死发生机制和干细胞治疗等方面的研究。     

冠脉结扎法制做大鼠心肌缺血模型

目的探讨大鼠心肌缺血动物模型的构建。方法缝扎大鼠冠脉左前降支,于左室前外侧壁形成缺血区域,约占左室壁面积的20%～50%。结果完成85例动物模型制作,存活74只,其中60只据术中所见、心电图、及病理检查证实有明确的心肌缺血,心功能下降。结论该方法制作简单可行,动物存活率满意;但模型欠稳定,需标本量较大以充分筛选。     

Mesenchymal stem cells are superior to angiogenic growth factor genes for improving myocardial performance in the mouse model of acute myocardial infarction

Summary Both cell therapy and angiogenic growth factor gene therapy have been applied to animal studies and clinical trials. Little is known about the direct comparison between cell therapy and angiogenic growth factor gene therapy. The goal of this study was to compare the effects of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) transplantation and injection of angiogenic growth factor genes in a model of acute myocardial infarction in mice. The hMSCs were obtained from adult human bone marrow and expanded in vitro. The purity and characteristics of hMSCs were identified by flow cytometry and immunophenotyping. Immediately after ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in male severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, culture-expanded hMSCs or angiogenic growth factor genes were injected intramuscularly at the left anterior free wall. The engrafted hMSCs were positive for cardiac marker, desmin. Infarct size was significantly smaller in the hMSCs-treated group than in the angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-treated group at day 28 after infarction. hMSCs transplantation was better in decreasing left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and increasing fractional shortening than Ang1 or VEGF gene therapy. Capillary density was markedly increased after hMSCs transplantation than Ang1 and VEGF gene therapy. In conclusion, intramyocardial transplantation of hMSCs improves cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction through enhancement of angiogenesis and myogenesis in the ischemic myocardium. hMSCs are superior to angiogenic growth factor genes for improving myocardial performance in the mouse model of acute myocardial infarction. Transplantation of MSCs may become the future therapy for acute myocardial infarction for myocardial regeneration.     

Establishment of a Novel Murine Model of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy with Multiple Diffuse Coronary Lesions

Objectives

Atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary arteries are the pathological basis for myocardial infarction and ischemic cardiomyopathy. Progression of heart failure after myocardial infarction is associated with cardiac remodeling, which has been studied by means of coronary ligation in mice. However, this ligation model requires excellent techniques. Recently, a new murine model, HypoE mouse was reported to exhibit atherogenic Paigen diet-induced coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction; however, the HypoE mice died too early to make possible investigation of cardiac remodeling. Therefore, we aimed to modify the HypoE mouse model to establish a novel model for ischemic cardiomyopathy caused by atherosclerotic lesions, which the ligation model does not exhibit.

Methods and Results

In our study, the sustained Paigen diet for the HypoE mice was shortened to 7 or 10 days, allowing the mice to survive longer. The 7-day Paigen diet intervention starting when the mice were 8 weeks old was adequate to permit the mice to survive myocardial infarction. Our murine model, called the “modified HypoE mouse”, was maintained until 8 weeks, with a median survival period of 36 days, after the dietary intervention (male, n = 222). Echocardiography demonstrated that the fractional shortening 2 weeks after the Paigen diet (n = 14) significantly decreased compared with that just before the Paigen diet (n = 6) (31.4±11.9% vs. 54.4±2.6%, respectively, P<0.01). Coronary angiography revealed multiple diffuse lesions. Cardiac remodeling and fibrosis were identified by serial analyses of cardiac morphological features and mRNA expression levels in tissue factors such as MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, collagen-1, and TGF-β.

Conclusion

Modified HypoE mice are a suitable model for ischemic cardiomyopathy with multiple diffuse lesions and may be considered as a novel and convenient model for investigations of cardiac remodeling on a highly atherogenic background.     

Elabela gene therapy promotes angiogenesis after myocardial infarction

This study was aimed at investigating whether Elabela (ELA) gene therapy can promote angiogenesis in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). The fusion expression plasmid pAAV-3 × Flag/ELA-32 was successfully constructed using molecular cloning technique. The model of acute MI was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in mice. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) was injected into the surrounding myocardium and tail vein immediately after the model was established. AAV was injected again from the tail vein one week later. Compared with the MI+PBS (control) group, the serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration, and the values of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVDs) of the MI+AAV-ELA (gene therapy) group were significantly decreased, while the value of left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly increased at 2 and 4 weeks after operation. Compared with the control group, the expression of CD105 and vWF and the percentage of CD31- and Ki67–co-positive cells were significantly increased in the gene therapy group. Moreover, the expressions of apelin peptide jejunum (APJ) receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGFR2, Jagged1 and Notch3 in the heart tissue around the infarction were up-regulated in mice with gene therapy. The results suggest that ELA activates VEFG/VEGFR2 and Jagged1/Notch3 pathways through APJ to promote angiogenesis after myocardial infarction. ELA gene therapy may be used in the treatment of ischaemic cardiomyopathy in future.     

冠脉结扎和介入两种方法制备犬心肌梗死模型的比较

目的观察开胸结扎冠状动脉与闭胸明胶海绵栓塞法制备急性心肌梗死（AMI）动物模型的特点。方法分别经开胸结扎犬冠状动脉左前降支主干及闭胸冠脉栓塞的方法阻断冠脉血流;采用单级肢体导联和胸导联方式,在阻断前后监测心电图波形变化;造模72h后取心肌组织行病理切片染色。结果经心电图和病理验证,两种方法均可成功制备犬心梗模型,开胸冠脉结扎犬死亡率较高,而冠脉栓塞成活率高。结论相较开胸冠脉结扎法,闭胸栓塞法制备心梗模型对动物损伤小,成活率高,具推广价值。     

Myocardial Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CCN2/CTGF) Attenuates Left Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction

Aims

Myocardial CCN2/CTGF is induced in heart failure of various etiologies. However, its role in the pathophysiology of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) remains unresolved. The current study explores the role of CTGF in infarct healing and LV remodeling in an animal model and in patients admitted for acute ST-elevation MI.

Methods and Results

Transgenic mice with cardiac-restricted overexpression of CTGF (Tg-CTGF) and non-transgenic littermate controls (NLC) were subjected to permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Despite similar infarct size (area of infarction relative to area at risk) 24 hours after ligation of the coronary artery in Tg-CTGF and NLC mice, Tg-CTGF mice disclosed smaller area of scar tissue, smaller increase of cardiac hypertrophy, and less LV dilatation and deterioration of LV function 4 weeks after MI. Tg-CTGF mice also revealed substantially reduced mortality after MI. Remote/peri-infarct tissue of Tg-CTGF mice contained reduced numbers of leucocytes, macrophages, and cells undergoing apoptosis as compared with NLC mice. In a cohort of patients with acute ST-elevation MI (n = 42) admitted to hospital for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) serum-CTGF levels (s-CTGF) were monitored and related to infarct size and LV function assessed by cardiac MRI. Increase in s-CTGF levels after MI was associated with reduced infarct size and improved LV ejection fraction one year after MI, as well as attenuated levels of CRP and GDF-15.

Conclusion

Increased myocardial CTGF activities after MI are associated with attenuation of LV remodeling and improved LV function mediated by attenuation of inflammatory responses and inhibition of apoptosis.     

Interpretation of elevated plasma visfatin concentrations in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Visfatin is a cytokine that is expressed in many tissues, including the heart, and has been proposed to play a role in plaque destabilization leading to acute myocardial injury. The present study evaluates plasma levels of visfatin in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients and examines the temporal changes in visfatin levels from the acute period to the subacute period to determine a correlation with the degree of myocardial ischemia. We evaluated 54 patients with STEMI. Circulating levels of visfatin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured by ELISA. In addition, local expression of visfatin and BNP were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of left ventricular myocytes in a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI). Plasma levels of visfatin were significantly increased in patients with STEMI on admission, relative to controls (effort angina patients and individuals without coronary artery disease). The visfatin levels reached a peak 24 h after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and then decreased toward the control range during the first week after PCI. The basal plasma visfatin levels were found to correlate with peak troponin-I, peak creatine kinase-MB, total white blood cell count, and BNP levels. Trend analyses confirmed that visfatin levels correlated with the number of diseased coronary arteries. Further, in MI mice, mRNA levels of visfatin and BNP were found to be higher than in sham-treated mice. IHC analysis showed that visfatin and BNP immunoreactivity was diffusely observable in left ventricular myocytes of the MI mice. This study indicates that plasma visfatin levels are significantly higher in STEMI patients and that these higher visfatin levels correlate with elevated levels of cardiac enzymes, suggesting that increased plasma visfatin may be closely related to the degree of myocardial damage.     

Electrocardiography as a tool for validating myocardial ischemia-reperfusion procedures in mice

This paper evaluates the modifications induced by ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion in mice after permanent or transient, respectively, ligation of the left coronary artery and establishes a correlation among the extent of ischemia, electrocardiograph features, and infarct size. The left coronary artery was ligated 1 mm distal from the tip of the left auricle. Histologic analysis revealed that 30-min ischemia (n = 9) led to infarction involving 9.7% ± 0.5% of the left ventricle, whereas 1-h ischemia (n = 9) resulted in transmural infarction of 16.1% ± 4.6% of the left ventricle. In contrast, 24-h ischemia (n = 8) and permanent ischemia (n = 8) induced similarly sized infarcts (33% ± 2% and 31.8% ± 0.7%, respectively), suggesting ineffective reperfusion after 24-h ischemia. Electrocardiography revealed that ligation of the left coronary artery led to ST height elevation (204 compared with 14 μV) and QTc prolongation (136 compared with 76 ms). Both parameters rapidly normalized on reperfusion, demonstrating that electrocardiography was important for validating correct ligation and reperfusion. In addition, electrocardiography predicted the severity of the myocardial damage induced by ischemia. Our results show that electrocardiographic changes present after 30-min ischemia were reversed on reperfusion; however, prolonged ischemia induced pathologic electrocardiographic patterns that remained even after reperfusion. The mouse model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion can be improved by using electrocardiography to validate ligation and reperfusion during surgery and to predict the severity of infarction.