Resident fibroblast expansion during cardiac growth and remodeling

MJ Ivey, JT Kuwabara, JT Pai, RE Moore, Z Sun… - Journal of molecular and …, 2018 - Elsevier
MJ Ivey, JT Kuwabara, JT Pai, RE Moore, Z Sun, MD Tallquist
Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 2018Elsevier
Cardiac fibrosis, denoted by the deposition of extracellular matrix, manifests with a variety of
diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and myocardial infarction. Underlying this
pathological extracellular matrix secretion is an expansion of fibroblasts. The mouse is now
a common experimental model system for the study of cardiovascular remodeling and
elucidation of fibroblast responses to cardiac growth and stress is vital for understanding
disease processes. Here, using diverse but fibroblast specific markers, we report murine …
Abstract
Cardiac fibrosis, denoted by the deposition of extracellular matrix, manifests with a variety of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and myocardial infarction. Underlying this pathological extracellular matrix secretion is an expansion of fibroblasts. The mouse is now a common experimental model system for the study of cardiovascular remodeling and elucidation of fibroblast responses to cardiac growth and stress is vital for understanding disease processes. Here, using diverse but fibroblast specific markers, we report murine fibroblast distribution and proliferation in early postnatal, adult, and injured hearts. We find that perinatal fibroblasts and endothelial cells proliferate at similar rates. Furthermore, regardless of the injury model, fibroblast proliferation peaks within the first week after injury, a time window similar to the period of the inflammatory phase. In addition, fibroblast densities remain high weeks after the initial insult. These results provide detailed information regarding fibroblast distribution and proliferation in experimental methods of heart injury.
Elsevier