Effects of uniform electric fields on intracellular calcium transients in single cardiac cells

RyR2 modulates a Ca2+-activated K+ current in mouse cardiac myocytes

In cardiomyocytes, Ca²⁺ entry through voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels (VDCCs) binds to and activates RyR2 channels, resulting in subsequent Ca²⁺ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and cardiac contraction. Previous research has documented the molecular coupling of small-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels (SK channels) to VDCCs in mouse cardiac muscle. Little is known regarding the role of RyRs-sensitive Ca²⁺ release in the SK channels in cardiac muscle. In this study, using whole-cell patch clamp techniques, we observed that a Ca²⁺-activated K+ current (I_K,Ca) recorded from isolated adult C57B/L mouse atrial myocytes was significantly decreased by ryanodine, an inhibitor of ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2), or by the co-application of ryanodine and thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). The activation of RyR2 by caffeine increased the I_K,Ca in the cardiac cells (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). We further analyzed the effect of RyR2 knockdown on I_K,Ca and Ca²⁺ in isolated adult mouse cardiomyocytes using a whole-cell patch clamp technique and confocal imaging. RyR2 knockdown in mouse atrial cells transduced with lentivirus-mediated small hairpin interference RNA (shRNA) exhibited a significant decrease in I_K,Ca (p<0.05) and [Ca²⁺]i fluorescence intensity (p<0.01). An immunoprecipitated complex of SK2 and RyR2 was identified in native cardiac tissue by co-immunoprecipitation assays. Our findings indicate that RyR2-mediated Ca²⁺ release is responsible for the activation and modulation of SK channels in cardiac myocytes.

Effects of unipolar stimulation on voltage and calcium distributions in the isolated rabbit heart

BACKGROUND

The effect of electric stimulation on the polarization of cardiac tissue (virtual electrode effect) is well known; the corresponding response of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and its dependence on coupling interval between conditioning stimulus (S1) and test stimulus (S2) has yet to be elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

Because uncovering the transmembrane potential (V(m))-[Ca(2+)](i) relationship during an electric shock is imperative for understanding arrhythmia induction and defibrillation, we aimed to study simultaneous V(m) and [Ca(2+)](i) responses to strong unipolar stimulation.

METHODS

We used a dual-camera optical system to image concurrently V (m) and [Ca(2+)](i) responses to unipolar stimulation (20 ms +/- 20 mA) in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. RH-237 and Rhod-2 fluorescent dyes were used to measure V(m) and [Ca(2+)](i), respectively. The S1-S2 interval ranged from 10 to 170 ms to examine stimulation during the action potential.

RESULTS

The [Ca(2+)](i) deflections were less pronounced than changes in V(m) for all S1-S2 intervals. For cathodal stimulation, [Ca(2+)](i) at the central virtual cathode region increased with prolongation of S1-S2 interval. For anodal stimulation, [Ca(2+)](i) at the central virtual anode area decreased with shortening of the S1-S2 interval. At very short S1-S2 intervals (10-20 ms), when S2 polarization was superimposed on the S1 action potential upstroke, the [Ca(2+)](i) distribution did not follow V(m) and produced a more complex pattern. After S2 termination [Ca(2+)](i) exhibited three outcomes in a manner similar to V(m): non-propagating response, break stimulation, and make stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in the [Ca(2+)](i) distribution correlate with the behavior of the V (m) distribution for S1-S2 coupling intervals longer than 20 ms; at shorter intervals S2 creates more heterogeneous [Ca(2+)](i) distribution in comparison with V(m). Stimulation in diastole and at very short coupling intervals caused V(m)-[Ca(2+)](i) uncoupling at the regions of positive polarization (virtual cathode).

Cell and tissue responses to electric shocks

AIM

Existing models of myocardial membrane kinetics have not been able to reproduce the experimentally-observed negative bias in the asymmetry of transmembrane potential changes (DeltaV(m)) induced by strong electric shocks. The goals of this study are (1) to demonstrate that this negative bias could be reproduced by the addition, to the membrane model, of electroporation and an outward current, I(a), part of the K(+) flow through the L-type Ca(2+)-channel, and (2) to determine how such modifications in the membrane model affect shock-induced break excitation in a 2D preparation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted simulations of shocks in bidomain fibres and sheets with membrane dynamics represented by the Luo-Rudy dynamic model (LRd'2000), to which electroporation (LRd + EP model) and the outward current, I(a), activated upon strong shock-induced depolarization (aLRd model) was added. Assuming I(a) is a part of K(+) flow through the L-type Ca(2+)-channel enabled us to reproduce both the experimentally observed rectangularly-shaped positive DeltaV(m) and the value of near 2 of the negative-to-positive DeltaV(m) ratio. In the sheet, I(a) not only contributed to the negative bias in DeltaV(m) asymmetry at sites polarized by physical and virtual electrodes, but also restricted positive DeltaV(m). Electroporation, in its turn, was responsible for the decrease in cathode-break excitation threshold in the aLRd sheet, compared with the other two cases, as well as for the occurrence of the excitation after the shock-end rather than during the shock.

CONCLUSIONS

The incorporation of electroporation and I(a) in a membrane model ensures match between simulation results and experimental data. The use of the aLRd model results in a lower threshold for shock-induced break excitation.

Artifactual contractions triggered by field stimulation of cardiomyocytes

Although cell shortening in patch-clamped cells (current-clamp mode) is triggered by an ordinary action potential, the trigger mechanism in field-stimulated cells is not so obvious. The contraction characteristics of the two methods differ, and we, therefore, examined the triggering sequence in field-stimulated cells. Isolated rat cardiomyocytes were plated on laminin-coated coverslips that were mounted on an inverted light microscope and superfused with HEPES-Tyrode buffer (pH 7.4; 37°C). The cells were stimulated to contract either by a 0.5-ms current injection (CC cells) through high-resistance electrodes or a 5-ms biphasic field-stimulation pulse (FS cells), and drugs were added to block sarcolemmal proteins involved in excitation-contraction coupling. Time to peak contraction (TTP) was significantly longer in FS cells and was not affected by the polarity or the length of the stimulus pulse. Tetrodotoxin (TTX; 20 μM) blocked cell shortening in CC cells but not in FS cells. Ni2+ (5 mM) blocked cell shortening in FS cells, whereas KB-R7943 (KB; 5 μM) had no effect either on cell shortening or TTP. In FS cells, nifedipine (Nif; 100 μM) and Cd2+ (300 μM) reduced fractional shortening by 34 and 63%, respectively, but only Cd2+ affected TTP (reduced by 48%). A combination of Nif and KB reduced cell shortening by 50%, whereas a combination of Cd2+ and KB almost abolished cell shortening. We conclude that field stimulation per se prolongs TTP and that cell shortening in FS cells is not dependent on Na+ current but is triggered by a combination of L-type Ca2+ current and reverse mode Na+/Ca2+ exchange.

Asymmetry in membrane responses to electric shocks: insights from bidomain simulations

Models of myocardial membrane dynamics have not been able to reproduce the experimentally observed negative bias in the asymmetry of transmembrane potential changes (DeltaVm) induced by strong electric shocks delivered during the action potential plateau. The goal of this study is to determine what membrane model modifications can bridge this gap between simulation and experiment. We conducted simulations of shocks in bidomain fibers and sheets with membrane dynamics represented by the LRd'2000 model. We found that in the fiber, the negative bias in DeltaVm asymmetry could not be reproduced by addition of electroporation only, but by further addition of hypothetical outward current, Ia, activated upon strong shock-induced depolarization. Furthermore, the experimentally observed rectangularly shaped positive DeltaVm, negative-to-positive DeltaVm ratio (asymmetry ratio) = approximately 2, electroporation occurring at the anode only, and the increase in positive DeltaVm caused by L-type Ca2+-channel blockade were reproduced in the strand only if Ia was assumed to be a part of K+ flow through the L-type Ca2+-channel. In the sheet, Ia not only contributed to the negative bias in DeltaVm asymmetry at sites polarized by physical and virtual electrodes, but also restricted positive DeltaVm. Inclusion of Ia and electroporation is thus the bridge between experiment and simulation.

Decomposition of field-induced transmembrane potential responses of single cardiac cells

In this study, we used a multi-site optical mapping system to record field-induced responses of single cells isolated from guinea pig hearts. The cells were stained with voltage sensitive dye di-8-ANEPPS and stimulated with two uniform field (S1-S2) pulses along their longitudinal axes. The first pulse (S1 = 5 ms, <10 V/cm) was applied during rest and elicited an action potential. The second pulse (S2 = 10 ms, 4-50 V/cm) was applied 15 ms after the break of the S1 pulse (during the action potential plateau). The transmembrane potential responses, Vm(F)s, were optically recorded from up to 12 sites along the cell length using a fiber optic based optical mapping system at a resolution of 17 or 25 microm. The field-induced Vm(F)s had a complex spatio-temporal pattern. We show that these responses can be decomposed into simpler components. The first component, termed the differential-mode component (Vmd(F)), is like the response of a passive cell. The second component, termed the common-mode component (Vmc(F)), is identical all along the cell and adds a constant offset to the differential mode response of various sites along the cell length, to produce the total Vm(F) responses of the cell.

Spatial heterogeneity of transmembrane potential responses of single guinea-pig cardiac cells during electric field stimulation

Changes in transmembrane voltage (V(m)) of cardiac cells during electric field stimulation have a complex spatial- and time-dependent behaviour that differs significantly from electrical stimulation of space-clamped membranes by current pulses. A multisite optical mapping system was used to obtain 17 or 25 microm resolution maps of V(m) along the long axis of guinea-pig ventricular cells (n = 57) stained with voltage-sensitive dye (di-8-ANEPPS) and stimulated longitudinally with uniform electric field (2, 5 or 10 ms, 3-62 V cm(-1)) pulses (n = 201). The initial polarizations of V(m) responses (V(mr)) varied linearly along the cell length and reversed symmetrically upon field reversal. The remainder of the V(m) responses had parallel time courses among the recording sites, revealing a common time-varying signal component (V(ms)). V(ms) was depolarizing for pulses during rest and hyperpolarizing for pulses during the early plateau phase. V(ms) varied in amplitude and time course with increasing pulse amplitude. Four types of plateau response were observed, with transition points between the different responses occurring when the maximum polarization at the ends of the cell reached values estimated as 60, 110 and 220 mV. Among the cells that had a polarization change of > 200 mV at their ends (for fields > 45 V cm(-1)), some (n = 17/25) had non-parallel time courses among V(m) recordings of the various sites. This implied development of an intracellular field (E(i)) that was found to increase exponentially with time (tau = 7.2 +/- 3.2 ms). Theoretical considerations suggest that V(ms) represents the intracellular potential (phi(i)) as well as the average polarization of the cell, and that V(mr) is the manifestation of the extracellular potential gradient resulting from the field stimulus. For cells undergoing field stimulation, phi(i) acts as the cellular physiological state variable and substitutes for V(m), which is the customary variable for space-clamped membranes.