Lights on for HIF-1 alpha: Genetically Enhanced Mouse Cardiomyocytes for Heart Tissue Imaging

Background/Aims: The hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a suitable marker for tissue oxygenation. We intended to develop cardiomyocytes (CMs) expressing the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIE-la fused to the firefly luciferase (ODD-Luc) followed by proof-of-concept for its applicability in the assessment of heart muscle oxygenation. Methods and Results: We first generated embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines (ODD-Luc ESCs) from a Tg ROSA26 ODD-Luc/+ mouse. Subsequent CMs selection was facilitated by stable integration of an antibiotic resistance expressed under the control of the alpha MHC promoter. ODD-Luc ESCs showed a strong Luc-signal within 1 h of hypoxia (1% oxygen), which coincided with endogenous HIF-1 alpha. Engineered heart muscle (EHM) constructed with ODD-Luc CMs confirmed the utility of the model to sense hypoxia, and monitor reoxygenation also in a multicellular heart muscle model. Pharmacologically induced inotropy/chronotropy under isoprenaline resulted in enhanced Luc-signal suggesting enhanced oxygen consumption, leading to notable myocardial hypoxia. Conclusions: ODD-Luc-CMs can be used to monitor dynamic changes of cardiomyocyte oxygenation in living heart muscle samples. We provide proof-of-concept for pharmacologically induced myocardial interventions and envision applications of the developed model in drug screens and fundamental studies of ischemia/reperfusion injury. Copyright (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel