Key result
Overexpressing transcription factor TBX18 reprogrammed vascular smooth muscle cells into pacemaker-like cells with a faster beating rate (178.00 ± 7.55 bpm, p < 0.05) compared with other groups.
Why the study?
Because ascending aortic VSMCs and the TBX18+ sinus node both originate from the second heart field, the study explored whether ascending aortic VSMCs could be reprogrammed into pacemaker-like cells using human TBX18 in vitro.
Does TBX18 overexpression reprogram vascular smooth muscle cells into pacemaker-like cells in vitro?
Does TBX18 overexpression reprogram vascular smooth muscle cells into pacemaker-like cells in vitro?
p-value: p=< 0.05
Transcription factor TBX18 can reprogram vascular smooth muscle cells into pacemaker-like cells in vitro, offering potential insights for biological pacemaker development.
TBX18 overexpression confers pacemaker-like properties to aortic VSMCs in vitro; leaves open translation to functional biological pacemakers.
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of ascending aorta and TBX18+ sinus node both originated from the second heart field. The study explored whether ascending aortic smooth muscle cells in vitro could be reprogrammed into pacemaker-like cells with human TBX18. In the study, VSMCs were infected with TBX18, and then cocultured with neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) in vitro. By overexpressing TBX18, the transfected VSMCs expressed high levels of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 4 (HCN4), insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1, and human dwarf homeobox gene SHOX2, cardiac troponin I, and low level of connexin 43. In addition, funny current (If) was recorded by patch clamp appeared the time and voltage dependence in TBX18 group, which the amplitude of If density was from −5.164 ± 0.662 pA/pF to −0.765 ± 0.358 pA/pF (n = 14). Furthermore, TBX18-transfected VSMCs coupled with NRVMs showed typical action potential of pacemaker-like cells and the beating rate was faster (178.00 ± 7.55 bpm, p < 0.05) compared with other groups. In conclusion, our study indicated that transcription factor TBX18 could reprogram VSMCs into pacemaker-like cells in vitro.
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Wang et al. (2019) studied this question. Transcription factor TBX18 vs. other groups was evaluated on Beating rate of TBX18-transfected VSMCs coupled with NRVMs (p=< 0.05). Overexpressing transcription factor TBX18 reprogrammed vascular smooth muscle cells into pacemaker-like cells with a faster beating rate (178.00 ± 7.55 bpm, p < 0.05) compared with other groups.
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