Culturing of Cardiac Fibroblasts in Engineered Heart Matrix Reduces Myofibroblast Differentiation but Maintains Their Response to Cyclic Stretch and Transforming Growth Factor beta 1

M.C. Ploeg, C. Munts, T. Seddiqi, T.J.L. ten Brink, J. Breemhaar, L. Moroni, F.W. Prinzen, F.A. van Nieuwenhoven*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Isolation and culturing of cardiac fibroblasts (CF) induces rapid differentiation toward a myofibroblast phenotype, which is partly mediated by the high substrate stiffness of the culture plates. In the present study, a 3D model of Engineered Heart Matrix (EHM) of physiological stiffness (Youngs modulus similar to 15 kPa) was developed using primary adult rat CF and a natural hydrogel collagen type 1 matrix. CF were equally distributed, viable and quiescent for at least 13 days in EHM and the baseline gene expression of myofibroblast-markers alfa-smooth muscle actin (Acta2), and connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf) was significantly lower, compared to CF cultured in 2D monolayers. CF baseline gene expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (Tgf beta 1) and brain natriuretic peptide (Nppb) was higher in EHM-fibers compared to the monolayers. EHM stimulation by 10% cyclic stretch (1 Hz) increased the gene expression of Nppb (3.0-fold), Ctgf (2.1-fold) and Tgf beta 1 (2.3-fold) after 24 h. Stimulation of EHM with TGF beta 1 (1 ng/mL, 24 h) induced Tgf beta 1 (1.6-fold) and Ctgf (1.6-fold). In conclusion, culturing CF in EHM of physiological stiffness reduced myofibroblast marker gene expression, while the CF response to stretch or TGF beta 1 was maintained, indicating that our novel EHM structure provides a good physiological model to study CF function and myofibroblast differentiation.
Original languageEnglish
Article number551
Number of pages14
JournalBioengineering
Volume9
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2022

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