Introduction: Pericardial fluid is enriched with biologically active molecules of cardiovascular origin including microRNAs. Investigation of the disease-specific extracellular microRNAs could shed light on the molecular processes underlying disease development. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited heart disease characterized by life-threatening arrhythmias and progressive heart failure development. The current data about the association between microRNAs and ARVC development are limited.Methods and Results: We performed small RNA sequence analysis of microRNAs of pericardial fluid samples obtained during transcutaneous epicardial access for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation of six patients with definite ARVC and three post-infarction VT patients. Disease-associated microRNAs of pericardial fluid were identified. Five microRNAs (hsa-miR-1-3p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-206, and hsa-miR-3679-5p) were found to be differentially expressed between patients with ARVC and patients with post-infarction VT. Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed microRNAs revealed their close linkage to cardiac diseases.Conclusion: Our data extend the knowledge of pericardial fluid microRNA composition and highlight five pericardial fluid microRNAs potentially linked to ARVC pathogenesis. Further studies are required to confirm the use of pericardial fluid RNA sequencing in differential diagnosis of ARVC.

Alphoid^tetO-type human artificial chromosome (HAC) has been recently synthetized as a novel class of gene delivery vectors for induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based tissue replacement therapeutic approach. This HAC vector was designed to deliver copies of genes into patients with genetic diseases caused by the loss of a particular gene function. The alphoid^tetO-HAC vector has been successfully transferred into murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and maintained stably as an independent chromosome during the proliferation and differentiation of these cells. Human ESCs and iPSCs have significant differences in culturing conditions and pluripotency state in comparison with the murine naïve-type ESCs and iPSCs. To date, transferring alphoid^tetO-HAC vector into human iPSCs (hiPSCs) remains a challenging task. In this study, we performed the microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT) of alphoid^tetO-HAC expressing the green fluorescent protein into newly generated hiPSCs. We used a recently modified MMCT method that employs an envelope protein of amphotropic murine leukemia virus as a targeting cell fusion agent. Our data provide evidence that a totally artificial vector, alphoid^tetO-HAC, can be transferred and maintained in human iPSCs as an independent autonomous chromosome without affecting pluripotent properties of the cells. These data also open new perspectives for implementing alphoid^tetO-HAC as a gene therapy tool in future biomedical applications.

Mutations of desmosomal genes are known to cause arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy characterized by arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Previously, we described a novel genetic variant H1684R in desmoplakin gene (DSP), associated with a progressive cardiac conduction disease (PCCD). In the present study, we aimed to investigate an effect of the DSP-H1684R genetic variant on the activity of ion channels. We used cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC cardiomyocytes) from a patient with DSP-H1684R genetic variant and from two healthy donors. Immunofluorescent staining and western blot analyses were used to characterize patient-specific cardiomyocytes. By the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique we estimated the activity of voltage-gated sodium, calcium, and potassium channels that are responsible for action potential generation and its shape. Action potentials' parameters were measured using whole-cell current-clamp technique. In patient-specific cardiomyocytes we observed both lower amplitudes of currents through sodium Na_v1.5 channels and L-type calcium channels, but higher amplitude of current through transient-outward potassium channels in comparison to donor cardiomyocytes. Current-clamp measurements revealed shortening of action-potential in DSP-H1684R-carrying iPSC cardiomyocytes. Therefore, observed alterations in the channels activity might have a great impact on the properties of action potential and development of PCCD. Our results show that desmoplakin genetic variants, besides conduction slowing caused by structural heart remodeling, could affect multiple ion channel activity aggravating arrhythmia manifestation in PCCD.