Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Oestrogen-related receptor γ in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy: role of cardiomyocyte subtype conversion
Authors' conclusion
This study not only identifies cardiomyocyte subtype conversions as a key pathophysiological basis for SICM-induced cardiac dysfunction but also establishes ERRγ as the central regulatory mechanism governing these conversions.
Study context
- Population
- Mice with caecal ligation and puncture (CLP)- (or LPS-) induced sepsis; cultured rat and human cardiomyocytes; human hearts
Methodological detailsSingle-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), CLP mouse model, cultured cardiomyocytes, human heart validation
- snRNA-seq
- CLP mouse model
- Cultured cardiomyocytes
- Human heart validation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Normal hearts: cardiomyocytes in 3 major types (contractile, injury-responsive, transitional)
- Early sepsis: contractile cardiomyocytes converted to injury-responsive subtype, reducing contractility and impairing heart function but preventing sepsis-induced ROS production and cell injury
- Conversion driven by reduction of ERRγ in contractile cardiomyocytes
- After acute phase in CLP mice, ERRγ agonist promoted conversion back to contractile type, improving cardiac function and prognosis
- Sepsis-elicited subtype conversion confirmed in human hearts
Original publication
Oestrogen-related receptor γ in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy: role of cardiomyocyte subtype conversion. Eur Heart J. Published 4 December 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it