What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine the mechanical role of desmin intermediate filaments in cardiac wall compliance and contractile force generation using a knockout mouse model.

February 1, 2002Cardiovascular ResearchOpen Access

Hearts from mice lacking desmin have a myopathy with impaired active force generation and unaltered wall compliance

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Population

Desmin-deficient (Des-/-) and wild-type (Des+/+) mice

Comparison

Desmin deficiency (Des-/- genetic model) vs Wild-type (Des+/+) mice

Design

Preclinical

Authors

JBJulius BaloghCHI St. Vincent MMM MerisckayUniversité Paris Cité ZLZhenlin LiWannan Medical College

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Desmin supports active cardiac force in mice; leaves open its relevance to human ventricular dysfunction.

Key Points

To examine the mechanical role of desmin intermediate filaments in cardiac wall compliance and contractile force generation using a knockout mouse model.
Assessed whole-heart contractility in desmin-deficient (Des-/-) and wild-type (Des+/+) mice using the ex vivo Langendorff perfusion technique.
Measured active force generation, calcium sensitivity, rate of tension development, and actin-myosin concentrations in skinned ventricular muscle preparations.
Des-/- mice developed cardiomyopathy with increased heart weight and elevated diastolic pressures across filling volumes, while passive wall stress remained unaltered due to thickened ventricular walls.
Developed pressure, rate of pressure development, and developed wall stress were significantly reduced in Des-/- hearts despite maintaining normal concentrations of actin and myosin.
Skinned ventricle preparations showed lower active force development in Des-/- tissue with unaltered calcium sensitivity and rate of tension generation.

Structured PICO

Population

Desmin-deficient (Des-/-) and wild-type (Des+/+) mice

Intervention

Desmin deficiency (Des-/- genetic model)

Comparator

Wild-type (Des+/+) mice

Outcome

Cardiac contractility (developed pressure, rate of pressure increase, developed wall stress) and passive wall stresssurrogate

Desmin intermediate filaments play a crucial role in active force generation of cardiac muscle but do not contribute to the passive elasticity of the ventricle wall.

Cite This Study

Balogh et al. (2002) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7b8d8e1f8f1eb7b8ed181a https://doi.org/10.1016/s0008-6363(01)00500-4

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