Project description:The pathogenesis of viral myocarditis is a multifactorial process involving host genetics, viral genetics and the environment in which they interact. Here, we used a model of infection with Coxsackievirus B3 to characterize the contribution of host genetics to viral myocarditis. We determined heart CVB3 load in mice from a classical intercross between progenitors A/J (H2a) and B10.A-H2a (B10.A) of different genetic backgrounds but with a common H2 haplotype. Here we compare whole genome expression patterns in infected and uninfected A/J and B10.A mice in order to determine which gene expression programs are common or distinct to each strain. Total RNA obtained from hearts of 3 AJ, 3 B10.A(H2a), 3 CSS3 and 3 B6.chr3AJ that were infected or uninfected with CVB3(CG) at 400pfu/g and collected at day 4 post infection.
Project description:ABSTRACT Background: Viral myocarditis is a life-threatening illness that may lead to heart failure or cardiac arrhythmias. This study examined whether human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) could be used to model the pathogenic processes of coxsackievirus-induced viral myocarditis and to screen antiviral therapeutics for efficacy. Methods and Results: Human iPSC-CMs were infected with a luciferase-expressing mutant of the coxsackievirus B3 strain (CVB3-Luc). Brightfield microscopy, immunofluorescence, and calcium imaging were used to characterize virally infected hiPSC-CMs. Viral proliferation on hiPSC-CMs was subsequently quantified using bioluminescence imaging. For drug screening, select antiviral compounds including interferon beta 1 (IFNβ1), ribavirin, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), and fluoxetine were tested for their capacity to abrogate CVB3-Luc proliferation in hiPSC-CMs in vitro. The ability of some of these compounds to reduce CVB3-Luc proliferation in hiPSC-CMs was consistent with the reported drug effects in previous studies. Finally, mechanistic analyses via gene expression profiling of hiPSC-CMs infected with CVB3-Luc revealed an activation of viral RNA and protein clearance pathways within these hiPSC-CMs after IFNβ1 treatment. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that hiPSC-CMs express the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor, are susceptible to coxsackievirus infection, and can be used to confirm antiviral drug efficacy. Our results suggest that the hiPSC-CM/CVB3-Luc assay is a sensitive platform that could be used to screen novel antiviral therapeutics for their effectiveness in a high-throughput fashion. For this experiment, human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes were infected with coxsackievirus at multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 5 for 8 hours. Cells were treated with and without interferon beta 1 in order to determine if treatment activates antiviral response genes and/or viral clearance pathways. 4 total samples (2 for each condition) were analyzed
Project description:The pathogenesis of viral myocarditis is a multifactorial process involving host genetics, viral genetics and the environment in which they interact. Here, we used a model of infection with Coxsackievirus B3 to characterize the contribution of host genetics to viral myocarditis. We determined heart CVB3 load in mice from a classical intercross between progenitors A/J (H2a) and B10.A-H2a (B10.A) of different genetic backgrounds but with a common H2 haplotype. Here we compare whole genome expression patterns in infected and uninfected A/J and B10.A mice in order to determine which gene expression programs are common or distinct to each strain.
Project description:ABSTRACT Background: Viral myocarditis is a life-threatening illness that may lead to heart failure or cardiac arrhythmias. This study examined whether human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) could be used to model the pathogenic processes of coxsackievirus-induced viral myocarditis and to screen antiviral therapeutics for efficacy. Methods and Results: Human iPSC-CMs were infected with a luciferase-expressing mutant of the coxsackievirus B3 strain (CVB3-Luc). Brightfield microscopy, immunofluorescence, and calcium imaging were used to characterize virally infected hiPSC-CMs. Viral proliferation on hiPSC-CMs was subsequently quantified using bioluminescence imaging. For drug screening, select antiviral compounds including interferon beta 1 (IFNβ1), ribavirin, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), and fluoxetine were tested for their capacity to abrogate CVB3-Luc proliferation in hiPSC-CMs in vitro. The ability of some of these compounds to reduce CVB3-Luc proliferation in hiPSC-CMs was consistent with the reported drug effects in previous studies. Finally, mechanistic analyses via gene expression profiling of hiPSC-CMs infected with CVB3-Luc revealed an activation of viral RNA and protein clearance pathways within these hiPSC-CMs after IFNβ1 treatment. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that hiPSC-CMs express the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor, are susceptible to coxsackievirus infection, and can be used to confirm antiviral drug efficacy. Our results suggest that the hiPSC-CM/CVB3-Luc assay is a sensitive platform that could be used to screen novel antiviral therapeutics for their effectiveness in a high-throughput fashion. For this experiment, human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes were infected with coxsackievirus at multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 5 for 8 hours. Cells were treated with and without interferon beta 1 in order to determine if treatment activates antiviral response genes and/or viral clearance pathways.
Project description:Myocarditis induced with Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is commonly employed to study viral pathogenesis in mice. Although infectious virus is cleared after the acute phase, affected animals chronically develop the features of dilated cardiomyopathy, which may involve the mediation of immune and non-immune cells. To dissect this complexity, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on heart cells obtained from healthy and myocarditic mice, leading us to note that myocarditic mice had significantly higher proportions of myeloid cells, CD4 and CD8 T cells, and fibroblasts, whereas NK cells, ILCs and B cells were low. While the transcriptome profiles of myeloid cells revealed detection of monocytes and macrophages of M2 phenotype with pathways important in immune metabolism and inflammation, T cells consisted of Th17 cells, CTLs, and Treg cells with transcriptome signatures critical for cytotoxic functions. Although fibroblasts detected in myocarditic mice were phenotypically heterogeneous, their transcriptomes played roles in fibrosis and regulation of inflammation and immune responses. Additionally, analysis of intercellular communication networks revealed unique interactions and signaling pathways in the cardiac cellulome, whereas myeloid cells and T cells in myocarditic mice revealed uniquely upregulated transcription factors modulating cardiac remodeling functions. Taken together, our data suggest that M2 cells, T cells, and fibroblasts may cooperatively or independently participate in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis.
Project description:Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are critical regulators of viral infection and inflammatory responses. However, the roles of ncRNAs in acute myocarditis (AM)M) remain unclear.To identify ncRNAs involved in viral myocarditis pathogenesis by RNA-seq.
Project description:Aging is associated with declining immunity and inflammation as well as alterations in the gut microbiome with a decrease of beneficial microbes and increase in pathogenic ones. The aim of this study was to investigate aging associated gut microbiome in relation to immunologic and metabolic profile in a non-human primate (NHP) model. 12 old (age>18 years) and 4 young (age 3-6 years) Rhesus macaques were included in this study. Immune cell subsets were characterized in PBMC by flow cytometry and plasma cytokines levels were determined by bead based multiplex cytokine analysis. Stool samples were collected by ileal loop and investigated for microbiome analysis by shotgun metagenomics. Serum, gut microbial lysate and microbe-free fecal extract were subjected to metabolomic analysis by mass-spectrometry. Our results showed that the old animals exhibited higher inflammatory biomarkers in plasma and lower CD4 T cells with altered distribution of naïve and memory T cell maturation subsets. The gut microbiome in old animals had higher abundance of Archaeal and Proteobacterial species and lower Firmicutes than the young. Significant enrichment of metabolites that contribute to inflammatory and cytotoxic pathways was observed in serum and feces of old animals compared to the young. We conclude that aging NHP undergo immunosenescence and age associated alterations in the gut microbiome that has a distinct metabolic profile.
Project description:Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease in the heart and is mainly caused by viral infections. Viral myocarditis has been proposed to be divided into three phases; the acute viral phase, the subacute immune phase, and the chronic cardiac remodeling phase. Although individualized therapy should be applied depending on the phase, no clinical or experimental studies have found biomarkers that distinguish between the three phases of myocarditis. Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) belongs to the genus Cardiovirus, and can cause myocarditis in susceptible mouse strains. Using this novel model for viral myocarditis induced with TMEV, we conducted multivariate analysis including echocardiography, serum troponin and viral RNA titration, and microarray for identifying the biomarker candidates that discriminate the three phases. Using C3H mice infected with TMEV on 4, 7, and 60 days post infection (p.i.), we conducted bioinformatics analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) of microarray data, since our traditional cardiac and serum assays, including two-way comparison of microarray data, did not lead to the identification of a single biomarker. PCA separated heart samples clearly between the groups of 4, 7, and 60 days p.i. Representative genes contributing to the separation were as follows: 4 and 7 days p.i., innate immunity-related genes, such as Irf7, and Cxcl9; 7 and 60 days p.i., acquired immunity-related genes, such as Cd3g and H2-Aa; and cardiac remodeling-related genes, such as Mmp12 and Gpnmb. Here, sets of molecules, but not a single molecule, identified by the unsupervised PCA, were found to be useful as the phase-specific biomarkers. Five mice were infected with TMEV intraperitoneally and hearvested their hearts on 4, 7, and 60 days post infection, respectively, for RNA isolation and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. As the control groups, age-matched uninfected mice were prepared.
Project description:Opioid analgesics are frequently prescribed in the United States and worldwide. However, serious side effects such as addiction, immunosuppression and gastrointestinal symptoms limit long term use. In the current study using a chronic morphine-murine model a longitudinal approach was undertaken to investigate the role of morphine modulation of gut microbiome as a mechanism contributing to the negative consequences associated with opioids use. The results revealed a significant shift in the gut microbiome and metabolome within 24 hours following morphine treatment when compared to placebo. Morphine induced gut microbial dysbiosis exhibited distinct characteristic signatures profiles including significant increase in communities associated with pathogenic function, decrease in communities associated with stress tolerance. Collectively, these results reveal opioids-induced distinct alteration of gut microbiome, may contribute to opioids-induced pathogenesis. Therapeutics directed at these targets may prolong the efficacy long term opioid use with fewer side effects.