Absence of Type VI Collagen Paradoxically Improves Cardiac Function, Structure, and Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction

Rationale:We previously reported that type VI collagen deposition increases in the infarcted myocardium in vivo. To date, a specific role for this nonfibrillar collagen has not been explored in the setting of myocardial infarction (MI). Objective:To determine whether deletion of type VI collagen in an in vivo model of post-MI wound healing would alter cardiac function and remodeling in the days to weeks after injury. Methods and Results:Wild-type and Col6a1−/− mice were subjected to MI, followed by serial echocardiographic and histological assessments. At 8 weeks after MI, infarct size was significantly reduced, ejection fraction was significantly preserved (43.9%±3.3% versus 29.1%±4.3% for wild-type), and left ventricular chamber dilation was attenuated in the Col6a1−/− MI group (25.8%±7.9% increase versus 62.6%±16.5% for wild-type). The improvement in cardiac remodeling was evident as early as 10 days after MI in the Col6a1−/− mice. Myocyte apoptosis within the infarcted zones was initially greater in t...