Researchers have investigated the function of a complex mesh of muscle fibers that line the inner surface of the heart. The study, published in the journal Nature, sheds light on questions asked by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago, and shows how the shape of these muscles impacts heart performance and heart failure.
In humans, the heart is the first functional organ to develop and starts beating spontaneously only four weeks after conception. Early in development, the heart grows an intricate network of muscle fibers--called trabeculae--that form geometric patterns on the heart's inner surface. These are thought to help oxygenate the developing heart, but their function in adults has remained an unsolved puzzle since the 16th century.
"Our work significantly advanced our understanding of the importance of myocardial trabeculae," explains the author. "Perhaps even more importantly, we also showed the value of a truly multidisciplinary team of researchers. Only the combination of genetics, clinical research, and bioengineering led us to discover the unexpected role of myocardial trabeculae in the function of the adult heart."
To understand the roles and development of trabeculae, an international team of researchers used artificial intelligence to analyse 25,000 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the heart, along with associated heart morphology and genetic data. The study reveals how trabeculae work and develop, and how their shape can influence heart disease. UK Biobank has made the study data openly available.
Leonardo da Vinci was the first to sketch trabeculae and their snowflake-like fractal patterns in the 16th century. He speculated that they warm the blood as it flows through the heart, but their true importance has not been recognized until now.
The research suggests that the rough surface of the heart ventricles allows blood to flow more efficiently during each heartbeat, just like the dimples on a golf ball reduce air resistance and help the ball travel further.
The study also highlights six regions in human DNA that affect how the fractal patterns in these muscle fibers develop. Intriguingly, the researchers found that two of these regions also regulate branching of nerve cells, suggesting a similar mechanism may be at work in the developing brain.
The researchers discovered that the shape of trabeculae affects the performance of the heart, suggesting a potential link to heart disease. To confirm this, they analyzed genetic data from 50,000 patients and found that different fractal patterns in these muscle fibers affected the risk of developing heart failure. Nearly five million Americans suffer from congestive heart failure.
Further research on trabeculae may help scientists better understand how common heart diseases develop and explore new approaches to treatment.
https://www.cshl.edu/understanding-the-inner-workings-of-the-human-heart/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2635-8
The human heart trabeculae and cardiovascular diseases
- 939 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Targeting bone marrow adipo…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Mapping the biology of spin…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Liver biopsy to predict pan…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Significant differences in…
By newseditor
Posted 02 Jul
Serotonin 2C receptor regul…
By newseditor
Posted 02 Jul
Other Top Stories
Regulating mitochondrial fission!
Read more
How the brain tries to control blood loss
Read more
Why do we lose muscle mass when physical activity levels decline?
Read more
Brain's striatal neurons that help with decision-making
Read more
Assessing the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells fro…
Read more
Protocols
Monitoring norepinephrine r…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Jul
BicemuS: A new tool for neu…
By newseditor
Posted 26 Jun
Deciphering spatial domains…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Jun
High-throughput volumetric…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Jun
Bioengineered human colon o…
By newseditor
Posted 14 Jun
Publications
Targeting adipocyte ESRRA p…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Stress-induced TDP-43 nucle…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Unraveling host regulation…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Propionic acid promotes neu…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Association of genetic risk…
By newseditor
Posted 03 Jul
Presentations
Myelin plasticity in the ve…
By newseditor
Posted 10 Jun
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar