Premium
Ultrastructure and Immunohistochemical Analyses of a Regenerative Myocardium
Author(s) -
Cox Serenity Dawn Stokes,
Washburn Lyndsey,
Pardhanani Pooja,
Price Robert,
EvansAnderson Heather
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.530.2
Subject(s) - ciona intestinalis , ciona , regeneration (biology) , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , regenerative medicine , extracellular matrix , pathology , immunohistochemistry , population , anatomy , immunology , stem cell , medicine , genetics , environmental health , gene
Ciona intestinalis is a well‐characterized invertebrate model system presenting many advantages in the study of cardiac biology. In contrast to most vertebrates, Ciona myocardium regenerates throughout the life cycle, making Ciona an interesting candidate for studying heart formation and repair mechanisms. In order to evaluate the cardiac regenerative response to injury, Ciona hearts were ligated and fixed for TEM or immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis following 24 or 48 hour recovery periods. TEM analysis reveals the rejection of degenerated cells and stark changes in mitochondrial organization following injury. A marked thickening of a currently unidentified matrix in the lumen is also evident. Key morphological features indicating myocardial regeneration include undifferentiated cell population in myocardium as well as cardiomyocyte differentiation and division. Currently, histological stains with H&E and pentachrome are being used to identify the extracellular matrix composition and to visualize changes from injury. In addition, IHC studies will determine apoptotic, proliferative, and myofibril changes incurred by injury. This study is the first to document an anatomical regenerative response to myocardial injury in Ciona . Understanding the process of myocardial regeneration in Ciona will help to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of cardiac myocytes in higher order organisms. Grant Funding Source : NIH AREA Evans‐Anderson