title: Improved systolic function of rat cardiocytes during heart failure by overexpression of SERCA2a.
abstract: This study shows that overexpression of SERCA2a can improve the systolic function and reduce the occurr-ence of arrhythmias in cardiocytes isolated from the heart of a rat model of heart failure.
  
  
  
  An animal model of rats experiencing heart failure was established by a surgical procedure producing abdominal aortic coarctation. Cardiocytes from sacrificed rats were isolated by a collagenase digestion method. The SERCA2a adenovirus vector was transfected into the cells after 48h of culture. Overexpression of SERCA2a in cardiocytes was verified by Western Blot. Measurements were taken using a single cell dynamic edge detection system to evaluate the effects on the myocardiocyte function and calcium homeostasis.
  
  
  
  Cardiocytes overexpressing SERCA2a displayed a stronger systolic function and lower occurrence rate of abnormal systolic rhythm than mock-transfected cardiocytes. The contraction rhythm abnormality rate percentage was 5.270 ± 1.566% vs. 3.955 ± 1.684% (p < 0.01). The time at which they reached the maximum contraction (TTP) was 0.095 ± 0.009s vs. 0.114 ± 0.008s (p < 0.01). The time at which they reached 50% of the diastolic amplitude (R50) was 0.039 ± 0.008s vs. 0.057 ± 0.010s (p < 0.01). Finally, the occurrence rate of abnormal systolic rhythm during maximal contraction was 58% vs. 81% (p < 0.01). These results show that all data were significantly improved in the SERCA2a overexpressing group, and that parameters achieved were similar to those in the sham-operated non-heart failure group.
  
  
  
  The overexpression of SERCA2a in cardiocytes during heart failure significantly improves cell function and arrhythmia occurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Cardiovascular Disease Institute, Jiangsu, China. ghbxzh@126.com.
authors.forename: H-B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006333:Heart Failure; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D053498:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D053498:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases