Key result
Treatment with calcium and phosphate synergistically induced calcification in immortalized sheep and rat valve interstitial cell lines, establishing them as a viable in vitro model for calcific aortic valve disease.
Why the study?
Do immortalized sheep and rat valve interstitial cell lines undergo calcification in vitro when exposed to calcium and phosphate?
Do immortalized sheep and rat valve interstitial cell lines undergo calcification in vitro when exposed to calcium and phosphate?
Effect estimate: 22.2 fold increase in SAVICs
p-value: p=<0.001
Immortalized sheep and rat aortic valve interstitial cell lines represent a viable, cost-effective in vitro model for studying the mechanisms of calcific aortic valve disease.
Supports these cell lines as viable in vitro models for valve calcification research; leaves open translation to human calcific aortic valve disease.
Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) involves progressive valve leaflet thickening and severe calcification, impairing leaflet motion. The in vitro calcification of primary rat, human, porcine and bovine aortic valve interstitial cells (VICs) is commonly employed to investigate CAVD mechanisms. However, to date, no published studies have utilised cell lines to investigate this process. The present study has therefore generated and evaluated the calcification potential of immortalized cell lines derived from sheep and rat VICs. Immortalised sheep (SAVIC) and rat (RAVIC) cell lines were produced by transduction with a recombinant lentivirus encoding the Simian virus (SV40) large and small T antigens (sheep), or large T antigen only (rat), which expressed markers of VICs (vimentin and α‑smooth muscle actin). Calcification was induced in the presence of calcium (Ca; 2.7 mM) in SAVICs (1.9 fold; P<0.001) and RAVICs (4.6 fold; P<0.01). Furthermore, a synergistic effect of calcium and phosphate was observed (2.7 mM Ca/2.0 mM Pi) on VIC calcification in the two cell lines (P<0.001). Analysis of SAVICs revealed significant increases in the mRNA expression of two key genes associated with vascular calcification in cells cultured under calcifying conditions, runt related transcription factor‑2 (RUNX2;1.3 fold; P<0.05 in 4.5 mM Ca) and sodium‑dependent phosphate transporter‑1 (PiT1; 1.2 fold; P<0.05 in 5.4 mM Ca). A concomitant decrease in the expression of the calcification inhibitor matrix Gla protein (MGP) was noted at 3.6 mM Ca (1.3 fold; P<0.01). Assessment of RAVICs revealed alterations in Runx2, Pit1 and Mgp mRNA expression levels (P<0.01). Furthermore, a significant reduction in calcification was observed in SAVICs following treatment with established calcification inhibitors, pyrophosphate (1.8 fold; P<0.01) and etidronate (3.2 fold; P<0.01). Overall, the present study demonstrated that the use of immortalised sheep and rat VIC cell lines is a convenient and cost effective system to investigate CAVD in vitro, and will make a useful contribution to increasing current understanding of the pathophysiological process.
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Tsang et al. (2017) studied Calcific aortic valve disease. Calcium and phosphate medium vs. Control medium (1.05 mM Ca / 0.95 mM Pi) was evaluated on Calcium deposition (calcification) (22.2 fold increase in SAVICs, p=<0.001). Treatment with calcium and phosphate synergistically induced calcification in immortalized sheep and rat valve interstitial cell lines, establishing them as a viable in vitro model for calcific aortic valve disease.
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