Quantifying Structural and Functional Changes in Cardiac Cells in an In Vitro Model of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
type: CreativeWork
description: Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common diseases in the world. Cardiovascular diseases account for ~80% of deaths amongst diabetic patients, primarily through coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a new clinical entry, termed Diabetic Cardiomyopathy (DC), may lead to heart failure in diabetic patients independently of CAD or hypertension. In DC, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia associated with diabetes produce structural and biochemical alterations at the cardiac cell level. Early stage cell alterations include hypertrophy, calcium mishandling, cell apoptosis, excessive ROS production, and increased collagen production by fibroblasts. Eventually, major structural and functional changes can appear in myocardial tissue, characterized by diastolic and systolic dysfunction, and eventually heart failure. While specific changes associated with DC are well characterized, the mechanism underlying disease development and progression as a whole remain to be elucidated. The ability of researchers to develop general treatment options for this disease is thus limited. Currently, a majority of DC studies focus on either in vitro molecular pathways, or in vivo whole-heart properties such as ejection fraction. However, as DC is primarily a disease of changes in structural and functional properties, these studies can not precisely quantify what conditions (such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia) are producing specific biomechanical changes such as increased myocardial stiffness or diastolic dysfunction. To address this, we developed an in vitro approach, based on culturing cardiac cells in elevated glucose and fatty acid, to examine how structural and functional properties may change as a result of a diabetic environment. Increased myocardial stiffness is associated with increased collagen production in the heart. However, diastolic dysfunction is found to occur in DC prior to significant collagen accumulation. We hypothesized that increased cardiac cell stiffness could cont…
abstract: Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common diseases in the world. Cardiovascular diseases account for ~80% of deaths amongst diabetic patients, primarily through coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a new clinical entry, termed Diabetic Cardiomyopathy (DC), may lead to heart failure in diabetic patients independently of CAD or hypertension. In DC, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia associated with diabetes produce structural and biochemical alterations at the cardiac cell level. Early stage cell alterations include hypertrophy, calcium mishandling, cell apoptosis, excessive ROS production, and increased collagen production by fibroblasts. Eventually, major structural and functional changes can appear in myocardial tissue, characterized by diastolic and systolic dysfunction, and eventually heart failure. While specific changes associated with DC are well characterized, the mechanism underlying disease development and progression as a whole remain to be elucidated. The ability of researchers to develop general treatment options for this disease is thus limited. Currently, a majority of DC studies focus on either in vitro molecular pathways, or in vivo whole-heart properties such as ejection fraction. However, as DC is primarily a disease of changes in structural and functional properties, these studies can not precisely quantify what conditions (such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia) are producing specific biomechanical changes such as increased myocardial stiffness or diastolic dysfunction. To address this, we developed an in vitro approach, based on culturing cardiac cells in elevated glucose and fatty acid, to examine how structural and functional properties may change as a result of a diabetic environment. Increased myocardial stiffness is associated with increased collagen production in the heart. However, diastolic dysfunction is found to occur in DC prior to significant collagen accumulation. We hypothesized that increased cardiac cell stiffness could cont…
author: Michaelson, Jarett Evan
language: English
keywords: Biomedical engineering
date published: 2014
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:44:36Z
provider: Columbia University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Columbia University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.7916/D88050K1