A heart attack causes the death of heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes in the left ventricle. Fibrotic scar tissue, which cannot contract, replaces injured cardiomyocytes. Heart failure can significantly reduce the quality of life. A heart transplant is the only cure, but the limited availability of donor organs makes this unfeasible for most people.
After a heart attack, the adult human heart has a low regenerative capacity. Unlike humans, adult zebra fish regenerate their hearts and other organs after injury. This and other qualities make these fish an ideal model for the study of organ regeneration with an eye toward treating human diseases. But until recently, the exact way that zebra fish repair injured heart muscle was a mystery. Now, researchers at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, in Darlinghurst, Australia, and other institutions have found that a protein called KLF1 plays a central role in this process.
Their findings appear in the journal Science. Scientists already knew that KLF1 was essential in red blood cell production. The new research found that KLF1 also plays a critical role in the regeneration and healing of damaged heart muscle in zebra fish.
Activation of KLF1 in uninjured zebra fish hearts caused a significant increase in the replication of cardiomyocytes.
Researchers discovered that upon injury of the cardiomyocytes, KLF1 rewires mitochondrial metabolic pathways. These metabolic changes are associated with redirection of the remaining uninjured heart muscle cells, causing them to revert to a more immature state.
This allows them to multiply and repair the damage, a process known as myocardial plasticity. Usually, a mild case of myocarditis will go away without any lasting damage. Severe cases may not be diagnosed until you have the symptoms of heart failure. Even severe cases may go away without notice, but these severe cases usually cause ongoing and irreversible damage to the heart muscle.
Myocarditis is hard to diagnose because it can resemble many other diseases. Your doctor may suspect that you have myocarditis if your symptoms have appeared within 6 months of having an infection. A number of tests may be used to confirm the diagnosis:. Myocarditis is treated with pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines.
If myocarditis is part of another illness such as rheumatoid arthritis , treating that illness will treat the heart as well. If myocarditis is caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotic medicines will be prescribed.
In some cases, diuretics, digitalis, angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, or vasodilators may be prescribed to help the heart pump while it heals. For patients who have arrhythmias, antiarrhythmic medicines may be prescribed.
Today he and his family are enjoying life to the fullest, and are grateful every day for the research and medical expertise that saved his life. This research is made possible by our donors. When you fund critical heart disease research, you help create more survivors. Donate now. New hope for damaged hearts. Scott Ouellette had a massive heart attack at age
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