Original article
Human epicardium-derived cells reinforce cardiac sympathetic innervation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjmcc.2020.04.006Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Neurite outgrowth towards myocardium is reinforced by epicardium-derived cells.

  • Epicardium-derived cells augment sympathetic nerve sprouting by a paracrine effect.

  • Neural-myocardial-epicardial interaction can be studied in a 3D-culturing platform.

Abstract

Rationale

After cardiac damage, excessive neurite outgrowth (sympathetic hyperinnervation) can occur, which is related to ventricular arrhythmias/sudden cardiac death. Post-damage reactivation of epicardium causes epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) to acquire a mesenchymal character, contributing to cardiac regeneration. Whether EPDCs also contribute to cardiac re/hyperinnervation, is unknown.

Aim

To investigate whether mesenchymal EPDCs influence cardiac sympathetic innervation.

Methods and results

Sympathetic ganglia were co-cultured with mesenchymal EPDCs and/or myocardium, and neurite outgrowth and sprouting density were assessed. Results showed a significant increase in neurite density and directional (i.e. towards myocardium) outgrowth when ganglia were co-cultured with a combination of EPDCs and myocardium, as compared to cultures with EPDCs or myocardium alone. In absence of myocardium, this outgrowth was not directional. Neurite differentiation of PC12 cells in conditioned medium confirmed these results via a paracrine effect, in accordance with expression of neurotrophic factors in myocardial explants co-cultured with EPDCs. Of interest, EPDCs increased the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in cultured, but not in fresh myocardium, possibly due to an “ischemic state” of cultured myocardium, supported by TUNEL and Hif1α expression. Cardiac tissues after myocardial infarction showed robust NGF expression in the infarcted, but not remote area.

Conclusion

Neurite outgrowth and density increases significantly in the presence of EPDCs by a paracrine effect, indicating a new role for EPDCs in the occurrence of sympathetic re/hyperinnervation after cardiac damage.

Keywords

Sympathetic hyperinnervation
Epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs)
Neurite outgrowth
Nerve growth factor (NGF)
Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A)

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