Analysis of cellular NO-GC expression in the murine heart and lineage determination in angiotensin II-induced fibrosis.
Lennart Kreutz; Annika Gaab; Malathi Dona; Alexander R Pinto; Michelle D Tallquist; Dieter Groneberg; Andreas Friebe
Abstract
NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase (NO-GC) is involved in the (patho)physiology of the mammalian heart. However, little is known about the individual cardiac cell types that express NO-GC and the role of the enzyme in cardiac fibrosis. Here, we describe the cellular expression of NO-GC in healthy and fibrotic murine myocardium; these data were compared with scRNA-seq data. In healthy myocardium, NO-GC is strongly expressed in pericytes and smooth muscle cells but not in endothelial cells or cardiomyocytes. Angiotensin II induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis; fibrotic lesions contained cells positive for NO-GC identified as activated fibroblasts. Lineage tracing indicates that NO-GC-expressing activated fibroblasts originate from PDGFRβ- and Tcf21-positive fibroblast precursors. Our data indicate NO-GC expression in cardiac pericytes and SMC in naive myocardium and in activated fibroblast in fibrotic heart tissue. NO-mediated signaling may modulate fibrotic responses underlying the action of NO-GC stimulators used in the therapy of heart failure.
| Journal | ISCIENCE |
| ISSN | 2589-0042 |
| Published | 17 Jan 2025 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 111615 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111615 |
| Type | Journal Article |
| Sponsorship |