Cyclic stretch of embryonic cardiomyocytes increases proliferation, growth, and expression while repressing Tgf-β signaling.

ABSTRACT: Perturbed biomechanical stimuli are thought to be critical for the pathogenesis of a number of congenital heart defects, including Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). While embryonic cardiomyocytes experience biomechanical stretch every heart beat, their molecular responses to biomechanical stimuli during heart development are poorly understood. We hypothesized that biomechanical stimuli activate specific signaling pathways that impact proliferation, gene expression and myocyte contraction. The objective of this study was to expose embryonic mouse cardiomyocytes (EMCM) to cyclic stretch and examine key molecular and phenotypic responses. Analysis of RNA-Sequencing data demonstrated that gene ontology groups associated with myofibril and cardiac development were significantly modulated.

SUBMITTER: Banerjee I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4302020 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature