Factor XIII deficiency causes cardiac rupture, impairs wound healing, and aggravates cardiac remodeling in mice with myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Identification of key molecular players in myocardial healing could lead to improved therapies, reduction of scar formation, and heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI). We hypothesized that clotting factor XIII (FXIII), a transglutaminase involved in wound healing, may play an important role in MI given prior clinical and mouse model data.


RESULTS
To determine whether a truly causative relationship existed between FXIII activity and myocardial healing, we prospectively studied myocardial repair in FXIII-deficient mice. All FXIII(-/-) and FXIII(-)(/+) (FXIII activity <5% and 70%) mice died within 5 days after MI from left ventricular rupture. In contradistinction, FXIII(-/-) mice that received 5 days of intravenous FXIII replacement therapy had normal survival rates; however, cardiac MRI demonstrated worse left ventricular remodeling in these reconstituted FXIII(-/-) mice. Using a FXIII-sensitive molecular imaging agent, we found significantly greater FXIII activity in wild-type mice and FXIII(-/-) mice receiving supplemental FXIII than in FXIII(-/-) mice (P<0.05). In FXIII(-/-) but not in reconstituted FXIII(-/-) mice, histology revealed diminished neutrophil migration into the MI. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies suggested that the impaired inflammatory response in FXIII(-/-) mice was independent of intercellular adhesion molecule and lipopolysaccharide-induced CXC chemokine, both important for cell migration. After MI, expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 was 650% higher and collagen-1 was 53% lower in FXIII(-/-) mice, establishing an imbalance in extracellular matrix turnover and providing a possible mechanism for the observed cardiac rupture in the FXIII(-/-) mice.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that FXIII has an important role in murine myocardial healing after infarction.
Nahrendorf
Matthias
M
Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Hu
Kai
K
Frantz
Stefan
S
Jaffer
Farouc A
FA
Tung
Ching-Hsuan
CH
Hiller
Karl-Heinz
KH
Voll
Sabine
S
Nordbeck
Peter
P
Sosnovik
David
D
Gattenlöhner
Stefan
S
Novikov
Mikhail
M
Dickneite
Gerhard
G
Reed
Guy L
GL
Jakob
Peter
P
Rosenzweig
Anthony
A
Bauer
Wolfgang R
WR
Weissleder
Ralph
R
Ertl
Georg
G
D000818:Animals; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005176:Factor XIII / Q000502:physiology; D005177:Factor XIII Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D006342:Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling; D014945:Wound Healing
D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005176:Factor XIII