Induction of murine experimental autoimmune myocarditis – technical details, implementation and evaluation
Dudu, Felicia Luminita ; Fueriu, Razvan Mihai ; Jakobsson, Gabriel LU ; Vlad, Mihaela Loredana ; Lazar, Alexandra Gela ; Manea, Simona Adriana ; Manea, Adrian and Schiopu, Alexandru LU
(2025)
In Romanian Journal of Cardiology / Revista Romana de Cardiologie
35(3).
p.194-204
- Abstract
Introduction: Myocarditis is a complex cardiac disorder with multifactorial etiology, characterized by myocardial inflammation, cardiomyocyte damage, and fibrosis. Left untreated, myocarditis may lead to acute and chronic heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. Reliable experimental models of myocarditis are required to study the underlying pathological mechanisms of the disease and to develop efficient therapies. Materials and Methods: Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was induced by immunizing 9-week-old female BALB/c mice with a specific peptide derived from the cardiac α-myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) which is the major autoantigen recognized by heart-specific autoantibodies in myocarditis. The immunization activates an... (More)
Introduction: Myocarditis is a complex cardiac disorder with multifactorial etiology, characterized by myocardial inflammation, cardiomyocyte damage, and fibrosis. Left untreated, myocarditis may lead to acute and chronic heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. Reliable experimental models of myocarditis are required to study the underlying pathological mechanisms of the disease and to develop efficient therapies. Materials and Methods: Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was induced by immunizing 9-week-old female BALB/c mice with a specific peptide derived from the cardiac α-myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) which is the major autoantigen recognized by heart-specific autoantibodies in myocarditis. The immunization activates an anti-α-MHC immune response, which triggers an inflammatory reaction leading to cardiomyocyte damage and myocardial injury. The mice received two immunizations with 100 μL of an emulsion containing α-MHC peptide emulsified 1:1 in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) supplemented with 4 mg/mL inactivated Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), administered subcutaneously on Days 0 and 7. Results: We highlight the essential steps for the successful preparation of the peptide-adjuvant emulsion, a key factor in the effective implementation of the model, and mouse immunization. We also demonstrate how the inflammatory, fibrotic, and functional consequences on the myocardium should be evaluated. Conclusion: This efficient and reproducible murine EAM model allows experimental research on the pathophysiology and treatment of myocarditis.
(Less)
- author
- Dudu, Felicia Luminita
; Fueriu, Razvan Mihai
; Jakobsson, Gabriel
LU
; Vlad, Mihaela Loredana
; Lazar, Alexandra Gela
; Manea, Simona Adriana
; Manea, Adrian
and Schiopu, Alexandru
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- cardiac α-myosin heavy chain peptide, experimental autoimmune myocarditis, immune response, inflammation
- in
- Romanian Journal of Cardiology / Revista Romana de Cardiologie
- volume
- 35
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 11 pages
- publisher
- Sciendo
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105014194202
- ISSN
- 1220-658X
- DOI
- 10.2478/rjc-2025-0026
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a920320c-f976-4e12-bb75-65fb49b69e66
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-17 12:57:35
- date last changed
- 2025-11-17 12:58:39
@article{a920320c-f976-4e12-bb75-65fb49b69e66,
abstract = {{<p>Introduction: Myocarditis is a complex cardiac disorder with multifactorial etiology, characterized by myocardial inflammation, cardiomyocyte damage, and fibrosis. Left untreated, myocarditis may lead to acute and chronic heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. Reliable experimental models of myocarditis are required to study the underlying pathological mechanisms of the disease and to develop efficient therapies. Materials and Methods: Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was induced by immunizing 9-week-old female BALB/c mice with a specific peptide derived from the cardiac α-myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) which is the major autoantigen recognized by heart-specific autoantibodies in myocarditis. The immunization activates an anti-α-MHC immune response, which triggers an inflammatory reaction leading to cardiomyocyte damage and myocardial injury. The mice received two immunizations with 100 μL of an emulsion containing α-MHC peptide emulsified 1:1 in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA) supplemented with 4 mg/mL inactivated Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), administered subcutaneously on Days 0 and 7. Results: We highlight the essential steps for the successful preparation of the peptide-adjuvant emulsion, a key factor in the effective implementation of the model, and mouse immunization. We also demonstrate how the inflammatory, fibrotic, and functional consequences on the myocardium should be evaluated. Conclusion: This efficient and reproducible murine EAM model allows experimental research on the pathophysiology and treatment of myocarditis.</p>}},
author = {{Dudu, Felicia Luminita and Fueriu, Razvan Mihai and Jakobsson, Gabriel and Vlad, Mihaela Loredana and Lazar, Alexandra Gela and Manea, Simona Adriana and Manea, Adrian and Schiopu, Alexandru}},
issn = {{1220-658X}},
keywords = {{cardiac α-myosin heavy chain peptide; experimental autoimmune myocarditis; immune response; inflammation}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{194--204}},
publisher = {{Sciendo}},
series = {{Romanian Journal of Cardiology / Revista Romana de Cardiologie}},
title = {{Induction of murine experimental autoimmune myocarditis – technical details, implementation and evaluation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/rjc-2025-0026}},
doi = {{10.2478/rjc-2025-0026}},
volume = {{35}},
year = {{2025}},
}