Key result
Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was associated with a statistically significant lower microvascular density and structural capillary alterations compared to hearts without cardiac disease.
Why the study?
The sequence of pathological events in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy remains largely unknown, prompting investigation into interstitial remodeling, myocardial microvasculature, and interstitial cell phenotypes.
Observational (n=28)
Hypothesis-generating for microvascular rarefaction in feline HCM; leaves open causal role and human translation.
The sequence of pathological events in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM) is still largely unknown, although we know that fHCM is characterized by interstitial remodeling in a macrophage-driven pro-inflammatory environment and that myocardial ischemia might contribute to its progression. This study aimed to gain further insights into the structural changes associated with interstitial remodeling in fHCM with special focus on the myocardial microvasculature and the phenotype of the interstitial cells. Twenty-eight hearts (16 hearts with fHCM and 12 without cardiac disease) were evaluated in the current study, with immunohistochemistry, RNA-in situ hybridization, and transmission electron microscopy. Morphometrical evaluations revealed a statistically significant lower microvascular density in fHCM. This was associated with structural alterations in capillaries that go along with a widening of the interstitium due to the accumulation of edema fluid, collagen fibers, and mononuclear cells that also proliferated locally. The interstitial cells were mainly of fibroblastic or vascular phenotype, with a substantial contribution of predominantly resident macrophages. A large proportion expressed CD34 mRNA, which suggests a progenitor cell potential. Our results indicate that microvascular alterations are key events in the pathogenesis of fHCM and that myocardial interstitial cell populations with CD34+ phenotype play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Rodríguez et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM) (n=28). Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy vs. No cardiac disease was evaluated on Microvascular density and structural alterations. Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was associated with a statistically significant lower microvascular density and structural capillary alterations compared to hearts without cardiac disease.
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