The heart is one of the first organs to form and function during the embryonic development. It is comprised of multiple cell lineages which integral to proper the heart formation. The molecular pathways regulating cardiac development require a crosstalk between the multiple cell lineages and disruptions signaling pathways which regulate the cardiac development result in heart malformations. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are second messengers that are involved in a myriad of cellular processes. The intracellular levels of cAMP and cGMP are regulated by the balance between their synthesis and degradation. The degradation of cyclic nucleotides is carried out by phosphodiesterases, a superfamily composed of 11 enzymes hydrolyzing cAMP and cGMP in their inactive forms. But few it is known about the role of PDEs during the cardiac development. Thus, we aim to investigate the pattern of PDEs expression at different stages of cardiac development.
The heart development depends of a balance between growth and cellular differentiation of several cell lineages which regulating the cardiac development, regeneration and disease. Abnormalities during the process of heart formation result in Congenital heart diseases (CHD) which are one of the most recurrent birth defects. It is known that the seconder messengers cAMP and cGMP are involved in the intracellular signaling which regulates cellular growth, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Understanding the regulatory factors involved on the complex process of cardiac development it is not just important to clarify the CHD but also to find out new therapeutic approaches to prevent the cardiac defects. Since the lack in the literature describing the role of PDEs during the cardiac development, we will clarify whether there is a modulation on phosphodiesterases activity and expression at different stages of the heart formation.