Development of high content imaging methods for cell death detection in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2012 Oct;5(5):593-604. doi: 10.1007/s12265-012-9396-1. Epub 2012 Aug 16.

Abstract

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CM) are being investigated as a new source of cardiac cells for drug safety assessment. We developed a novel scalable high content microscopy-based method for the detection of cell death in hPSC-CM that can serve for future predictive in vitro cardio-toxicological screens. Using rat neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes (RVNC) or hPSC-CM, assays for nuclear remodelling, mitochondrial status, apoptosis and necrosis were designed using a combination of fluorescent dyes and antibodies on an automated microscopy platform. This allowed the observation of a chelerythrine-induced concentration-dependent apoptosis to necrosis switch and time-dependent progression of early apoptotic cells towards a necrotic-like phenotype. Susceptibility of hPSC-CM to chelerythrine-stimulated apoptosis varied with time after differentiation, but at most time points, hPSC-CM were more resistant than RVNC. This simple and scalable humanized high-content assay generates accurate cardiotoxicity profiles that can serve as a base for further assessment of cardioprotective strategies and drug safety.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Automation, Laboratory
  • Benzophenanthridines / toxicity*
  • Caspases, Effector / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane Permeability / drug effects
  • Cell Nucleus Shape / drug effects
  • Cell Tracking / methods*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Enzyme Activation
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / drug effects*
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / pathology
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence*
  • Mitochondria, Heart / drug effects
  • Mitochondria, Heart / pathology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / pathology
  • Necrosis
  • Phenotype
  • Rats
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Benzophenanthridines
  • chelerythrine
  • Caspases, Effector