Role of macrophages in thyroid hormone-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Abstract

Clinicals and experimental studies have shown that macrophages are critical in preserve cardiac homeostasis, as well as in the response to pathological processes as occur in myocardial infarction. However, insufficient information is available about the role of macrophages in other cardiac insults, especially in non-ischemic heart disease. Recently, our research group observed a significant increase in the number of total macrophage present in the myocardium of hyperthyroid mice. These finding are very promising since it is unknown in the literature and may provide new therapeutic strategies for the cardiac changes often related to hyperthyroidism since the heart is the main target of thyroid hormones. However, further investigation about the functional role of these cells in hyperthyroid hearts are required. Thus, the present study proposes to evaluate a possible cross-talk between cardiomyocytes and macrophages and its involvement in thyroid hormone-induced cardiac hypertrophy. For this, cardiac macrophages from control or hyperthyroid mice will be analyzed and sorted by flow cytometry and then placed in culture. Protein secreted by FACS-sorted macrophage will be identified by secretome analysis. Since our group has few expertise in experimental approaches using flow cytometry and secretome analysis, we are proposing a collaboration with Prof. Florian Leuschner (Heidelberg University - Germany), which is considered an international reference in immunocardiology. Therefore, we firmly believe that this collaboration will allow a significant advance in the quality of the research we are conducting. (AU)