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Author Spotlight: Enhancing Donor Heart Preservation Through Isolated Rat Heart Perfusion Studies
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Ascending aortas from heart donors and CABG patients are not equivalent as control in aortopathy studies

Amalia Forte1, Ciro Bancone1, Marilena Cipollaro2

  • 1a Department of Translational Medical Sciences , Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli" , Naples , Italy.

Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal : SCJ
|July 26, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Control samples from heart donors and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients are not equivalent for thoracic ascending aorta (TAA) dilation studies. Gene expression differences indicate CABG samples may have microscopic atherosclerotic lesions, impacting aortopathy research reliability.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Aortopathy Research
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Reliable reference samples are crucial for thoracic ascending aorta (TAA) dilation studies.
  • Current studies utilize TAA samples from heart donors, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients, or a mix.
  • The homogeneity of these sample sources has not been thoroughly investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the equivalence of TAA samples from heart donors versus CABG patients.
  • To determine the suitability of these samples as reference groups in aortopathy research.
  • To investigate basal gene expression differences between TAA samples from the two sources.

Main Methods:

  • Differential gene expression analysis using RT-PCR.
  • Protein expression analysis via Western blot.
  • Investigated key genes: smoothelin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1).

Main Results:

  • Smoothelin expression was lost in CABG samples.
  • α-SMA expression significantly increased in CABG samples.
  • TGF-β1 protein increased, while its mRNA decreased in CABG samples compared to heart donors.
  • Age-adjusted analysis confirmed gene expression differences.
  • Correlations between TGF-β1 mRNA and age (positive), and α-SMA mRNA and age (negative) were observed in CABG patients.

Conclusions:

  • TAA samples from heart donors and CABG patients are not equivalent.
  • Microscopic atherosclerotic lesions in CABG samples likely contribute to observed differences.
  • Careful selection of control groups is essential for reliable aortopathy studies.
Abstract

Keywords:
Ageingaortopathyatherosclerosiscontrol samplescoronary artery bypass graftheart donorsthoracic aortic aneurysm

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