Comparison of cellular transcriptome between mouse cardiac microvascular cell types.

Aims: The microcirculation serves crucial functions in adult heart, distinct from those carried out by epicardial vessels. Microvessels are governed by unique regulatory mechanisms, impairment of which leads to microvessel-specific pathology. There are few treatment options for patients with microvascular heart disease, primarily due to limited understanding of underlying pathology. We developed an integrated process for simultaneous isolation and culture of the main cell types comprising the microcirculation in adult mouse heart: endothelial cells, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, and here we characterize the transcriptional profile of each cell type. Methods and Results: Confluent cultures of mouse cardiac endothelial cells, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells underwent transcriptional profiling using RNA sequencing. We define the top 50 transcripts expressed by each cell type. Conclusions: We define microvascular cell transcriptional profiles, identify novel transcripts, and confirm established cell-specific markers. Our results allow identification of unique markers and regulatory transcripts that govern microvascular physiology and pathology. Overall design: RNA was extracted from confluent primary mouse cultures of endothelial cells, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells.