Key result
Resident cardiac macrophages modulate cardiomyocyte electrical and contractile function through syncytium calcium signaling.
This review highlights the integrative communication between cardiac macrophages and cardiomyocytes via syncytium calcium signaling, which modulates electrical conduction and tissue repair.
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Hypothesis-generating for macrophage-targeted therapies in conduction and post-MI repair; prospective trials needed before clinical adoption.
Macrophages are traditionally viewed as a key component of the immunity defense system. Recent studies have identified resident macrophages in multiple organs including the heart, in which the cells perform their crucial role on tissue repair after myocardial infarction (MI). The cardiac-specific macrophages interdigitate with cardiomyocytes particularly at the atrioventricular node region. The integrative communication between macrophage and cardiomyocytes can modulate the contractile function of the heart. Coordinated control of intracellular calcium signaling and intercellular electrical conduction via the syncytium network underlie the synchronized beating of the heart. In this review article, we introduce the concept the syncytium calcium signaling in the cardiomyocytes can modulate gene expression in the resident macrophages and their integration with the cardiomyocytes. The cardiac macrophages originate from bone marrow stem cells, migrate to local via vessel, and settle down as a naturalization process in heart. As the macrophages perform on regulating electrical conduction, and accomplish post MI non-scared completed regeneration or partial regeneration with fibrotic scar at different stage of postnatal development, we understand that multiple functions of cardiac macrophage should carry on with diverse linages. The naturalization process in heart of macrophages to the cardiomyocytes serves important roles to control of electrical signaling and calcium-dependent contractile function of the heart.
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Zhou et al. (2018) conducted a review in Cardiac macrophage function and calcium signaling. Resident cardiac macrophages integrate with cardiomyocytes to modulate electrical conduction and contractile function through syncytium calcium signaling.
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