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Hussaini S, Mamyraiym Kyzy A, Schröder-Schetelig J, Lädke SL, Venkatesan V, Diaz-Maue L, Quiñonez Uribe RA, Richter C, Biktashev VN, Majumder R, Krinski V, Luther S. Efficient termination of cardiac arrhythmias using optogenetic resonant feedback pacing. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2024; 34:031103. [PMID: 38526981 DOI: 10.1063/5.0191519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Malignant cardiac tachyarrhythmias are associated with complex spatiotemporal excitation of the heart. The termination of these life-threatening arrhythmias requires high-energy electrical shocks that have significant side effects, including tissue damage, excruciating pain, and worsening prognosis. This significant medical need has motivated the search for alternative approaches that mitigate the side effects, based on a comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of the heart. Cardiac optogenetics enables the manipulation of cellular function using light, enhancing our understanding of nonlinear cardiac function and control. Here, we investigate the efficacy of optically resonant feedback pacing (ORFP) to terminate ventricular tachyarrhythmias using numerical simulations and experiments in transgenic Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts. We show that ORFP outperforms the termination efficacy of the optical single-pulse (OSP) approach. When using ORFP, the total energy required for arrhythmia termination, i.e., the energy summed over all pulses in the sequence, is 1 mJ. With a success rate of 50%, the energy per pulse is 40 times lower than with OSP with a pulse duration of 10 ms. We demonstrate that even at light intensities below the excitation threshold, ORFP enables the termination of arrhythmias by spatiotemporal modulation of excitability inducing spiral wave drift.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hussaini
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - A Mamyraiym Kyzy
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - J Schröder-Schetelig
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - S L Lädke
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - V Venkatesan
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - L Diaz-Maue
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Research Electronics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - R A Quiñonez Uribe
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - C Richter
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- WG Cardiovascular Optogenetics, Lab Animal Science Unit, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - V N Biktashev
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, United Kingdom
| | - R Majumder
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - V Krinski
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - S Luther
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Lower Saxony, Göttingen 37075, Germany
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2
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Baines O, Sha R, Kalla M, Holmes AP, Efimov IR, Pavlovic D, O’Shea C. Optical mapping and optogenetics in cardiac electrophysiology research and therapy: a state-of-the-art review. Europace 2024; 26:euae017. [PMID: 38227822 PMCID: PMC10847904 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
State-of-the-art innovations in optical cardiac electrophysiology are significantly enhancing cardiac research. A potential leap into patient care is now on the horizon. Optical mapping, using fluorescent probes and high-speed cameras, offers detailed insights into cardiac activity and arrhythmias by analysing electrical signals, calcium dynamics, and metabolism. Optogenetics utilizes light-sensitive ion channels and pumps to realize contactless, cell-selective cardiac actuation for modelling arrhythmia, restoring sinus rhythm, and probing complex cell-cell interactions. The merging of optogenetics and optical mapping techniques for 'all-optical' electrophysiology marks a significant step forward. This combination allows for the contactless actuation and sensing of cardiac electrophysiology, offering unprecedented spatial-temporal resolution and control. Recent studies have performed all-optical imaging ex vivo and achieved reliable optogenetic pacing in vivo, narrowing the gap for clinical use. Progress in optical electrophysiology continues at pace. Advances in motion tracking methods are removing the necessity of motion uncoupling, a key limitation of optical mapping. Innovations in optoelectronics, including miniaturized, biocompatible illumination and circuitry, are enabling the creation of implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators with optoelectrical closed-loop systems. Computational modelling and machine learning are emerging as pivotal tools in enhancing optical techniques, offering new avenues for analysing complex data and optimizing therapeutic strategies. However, key challenges remain including opsin delivery, real-time data processing, longevity, and chronic effects of optoelectronic devices. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in optical mapping and optogenetics and outlines the promising future of optics in reshaping cardiac electrophysiology and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Baines
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Rina Sha
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Manish Kalla
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Andrew P Holmes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Igor R Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Davor Pavlovic
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Christopher O’Shea
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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3
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Hussaini S, Lädke SL, Schröder-Schetelig J, Venkatesan V, Quiñonez Uribe RA, Richter C, Majumder R, Luther S. Dissolution of spiral wave's core using cardiac optogenetics. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011660. [PMID: 38060618 PMCID: PMC10729946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rotating spiral waves in the heart are associated with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. These arrhythmias are treated by a process called defibrillation, which forces electrical resynchronization of the heart tissue by delivering a single global high-voltage shock directly to the heart. This method leads to immediate termination of spiral waves. However, this may not be the only mechanism underlying successful defibrillation, as certain scenarios have also been reported, where the arrhythmia terminated slowly, over a finite period of time. Here, we investigate the slow termination dynamics of an arrhythmia in optogenetically modified murine cardiac tissue both in silico and ex vivo during global illumination at low light intensities. Optical imaging of an intact mouse heart during a ventricular arrhythmia shows slow termination of the arrhythmia, which is due to action potential prolongation observed during the last rotation of the wave. Our numerical studies show that when the core of a spiral is illuminated, it begins to expand, pushing the spiral arm towards the inexcitable boundary of the domain, leading to termination of the spiral wave. We believe that these fundamental findings lead to a better understanding of arrhythmia dynamics during slow termination, which in turn has implications for the improvement and development of new cardiac defibrillation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayedeh Hussaini
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah L. Lädke
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Schröder-Schetelig
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vishalini Venkatesan
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Raúl A. Quiñonez Uribe
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Richter
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
- WG Cardiovascular Optogenetics, Lab Animal Science Unit, Leibniz Institute for Primate research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rupamanjari Majumder
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Luther
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Göttingen University, Germany
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4
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Leemann S, Schneider-Warme F, Kleinlogel S. Cardiac optogenetics: shining light on signaling pathways. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:1421-1437. [PMID: 38097805 PMCID: PMC10730638 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02892-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
In the early 2000s, the field of neuroscience experienced a groundbreaking transformation with the advent of optogenetics. This innovative technique harnesses the properties of naturally occurring and genetically engineered rhodopsins to confer light sensitivity upon target cells. The remarkable spatiotemporal precision offered by optogenetics has provided researchers with unprecedented opportunities to dissect cellular physiology, leading to an entirely new level of investigation. Initially revolutionizing neuroscience, optogenetics quickly piqued the interest of the wider scientific community, and optogenetic applications were expanded to cardiovascular research. Over the past decade, researchers have employed various optical tools to observe, regulate, and steer the membrane potential of excitable cells in the heart. Despite these advancements, achieving control over specific signaling pathways within the heart has remained an elusive goal. Here, we review the optogenetic tools suitable to control cardiac signaling pathways with a focus on GPCR signaling, and delineate potential applications for studying these pathways, both in healthy and diseased hearts. By shedding light on these exciting developments, we hope to contribute to the ongoing progress in basic cardiac research to facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic possibilities for treating cardiovascular pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siri Leemann
- Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Franziska Schneider-Warme
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Kleinlogel
- Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Translational Medicine Neuroscience, Basel, Switzerland
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5
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Marchal GA, Biasci V, Yan P, Palandri C, Campione M, Cerbai E, Loew LM, Sacconi L. Recent advances and current limitations of available technology to optically manipulate and observe cardiac electrophysiology. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:1357-1366. [PMID: 37770585 PMCID: PMC10567935 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02858-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics, utilising light-reactive proteins to manipulate tissue activity, are a relatively novel approach in the field of cardiac electrophysiology. We here provide an overview of light-activated transmembrane channels (optogenetic actuators) currently applied in strategies to modulate cardiac activity, as well as newly developed variants yet to be implemented in the heart. In addition, we touch upon genetically encoded indicators (optogenetic sensors) and fluorescent dyes to monitor tissue activity, including cardiac transmembrane potential and ion homeostasis. The combination of the two allows for all-optical approaches to monitor and manipulate the heart without any physical contact. However, spectral congestion poses a major obstacle, arising due to the overlap of excitation/activation and emission spectra of various optogenetic proteins and/or fluorescent dyes, resulting in optical crosstalk. Therefore, optogenetic proteins and fluorescent dyes should be carefully selected to avoid optical crosstalk and consequent disruptions in readouts and/or cellular activity. We here present a novel approach to simultaneously monitor transmembrane potential and cytosolic calcium, while also performing optogenetic manipulation. For this, we used the novel voltage-sensitive dye ElectroFluor 730p and the cytosolic calcium indicator X-Rhod-1 in mouse hearts expressing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). By exploiting the isosbestic point of ElectroFluor 730p and avoiding the ChR2 activation spectrum, we here introduce a novel optical imaging and manipulation approach with minimal crosstalk. Future developments in both optogenetic proteins and fluorescent dyes will allow for additional and more optimised strategies, promising a bright future for all-optical approaches in the field of cardiac electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentina Biasci
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy-LENS, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ping Yan
- R. D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Chiara Palandri
- Department NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Marina Campione
- Institute of Neuroscience (IN-CNR) and Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Cerbai
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy-LENS, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department NeuroFarBa, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Leslie M Loew
- R. D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Leonardo Sacconi
- Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC-CNR), Florence, Italy.
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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6
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Nakao M, Watanabe M, Miquerol L, Natsui H, Koizumi T, Kadosaka T, Koya T, Hagiwara H, Kamada R, Temma T, de Vries AAF, Anzai T. Optogenetic termination of atrial tachyarrhythmias by brief pulsed light stimulation. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2023; 178:9-21. [PMID: 36965700 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The most efficient way to acutely restore sinus rhythm from atrial fibrillation (AF) is electrical cardioversion, which is painful without adequate sedation. Recent studies in various experimental models have indicated that optogenetic termination of AF using light-gated ion channels may provide a myocardium-specific and potentially painless alternative future therapy. However, its underlying mechanism(s) remain(s) incompletely understood. As brief pulsed light stimulation, even without global illumination, can achieve optogenetic AF termination, besides direct conduction block also modulation of action potential (AP) properties may be involved in the termination mechanism. We studied the relationship between optogenetic AP duration (APD) and effective refractory period (ERP) prolongation by brief pulsed light stimulation and termination of atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT). METHODS AND RESULTS Hearts from transgenic mice expressing the H134R variant of channelrhodopsin-2 in atrial myocytes were explanted and perfused retrogradely. AT induced by electrical stimulation was terminated by brief pulsed blue light stimulation (470 nm, 10 ms, 16 mW/mm2) with 68% efficacy. The termination rate was dependent on pulse duration and light intensity. Optogenetically imposed APD and ERP changes were systematically examined and optically monitored. Brief pulsed light stimulation (10 ms, 6 mW/mm2) consistently prolonged APD and ERP when light was applied at different phases of the cardiac action potential. Optical tracing showed light-induced APD prolongation during the termination of AT. CONCLUSION Our results directly demonstrate that cationic channelrhodopsin activation by brief pulsed light stimulation prolongs the atrial refractory period suggesting that this is one of the key mechanisms of optogenetic termination of AT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoki Nakao
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masaya Watanabe
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Lucile Miquerol
- Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, Campus de Luminy Case 907, CEDEX 9, Marseille 13288, France
| | - Hiroyuki Natsui
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takuya Koizumi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takahide Kadosaka
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Taro Koya
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hikaru Hagiwara
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Rui Kamada
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Taro Temma
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Antoine A F de Vries
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Toshihisa Anzai
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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7
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Emiliani V, Entcheva E, Hedrich R, Hegemann P, Konrad KR, Lüscher C, Mahn M, Pan ZH, Sims RR, Vierock J, Yizhar O. Optogenetics for light control of biological systems. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:55. [PMID: 37933248 PMCID: PMC10627578 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00136-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetic techniques have been developed to allow control over the activity of selected cells within a highly heterogeneous tissue, using a combination of genetic engineering and light. Optogenetics employs natural and engineered photoreceptors, mostly of microbial origin, to be genetically introduced into the cells of interest. As a result, cells that are naturally light-insensitive can be made photosensitive and addressable by illumination and precisely controllable in time and space. The selectivity of expression and subcellular targeting in the host is enabled by applying control elements such as promoters, enhancers and specific targeting sequences to the employed photoreceptor-encoding DNA. This powerful approach allows precise characterization and manipulation of cellular functions and has motivated the development of advanced optical methods for patterned photostimulation. Optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience during the past 15 years and is primed to have a similar impact in other fields, including cardiology, cell biology and plant sciences. In this Primer, we describe the principles of optogenetics, review the most commonly used optogenetic tools, illumination approaches and scientific applications and discuss the possibilities and limitations associated with optogenetic manipulations across a wide variety of optical techniques, cells, circuits and organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Emiliani
- Wavefront Engineering Microscopy Group, Photonics Department, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Emilia Entcheva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai R. Konrad
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Lüscher
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Clinic of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Mahn
- Department of Neurobiology, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhuo-Hua Pan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ruth R. Sims
- Wavefront Engineering Microscopy Group, Photonics Department, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Johannes Vierock
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Departments of Brain Sciences and Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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8
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Junge S, Schmieder F, Sasse P, Czarske J, Torres-Mapa ML, Heisterkamp A. Holographic optogenetic stimulation with calcium imaging as an all optical tool for cardiac electrophysiology. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202100352. [PMID: 35397155 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
All optical approaches to control and read out the electrical activity in a cardiac syncytium can improve our understanding of cardiac electrophysiology. Here, we demonstrate optogenetic stimulation of cardiomyocytes with high spatial precision using light foci generated with a ferroelectric spatial light modulator. Computer generated holograms binarized by bidirectional error diffusion create multiple foci with more even intensity distribution compared with thresholding approach. We evoke the electrical activity of cardiac HL1 cells expressing the channelrhodopsin-2 variant, ChR2(H134R) using single and multiple light foci and at the same time visualize the action potential using a calcium sensitive indicator called Cal-630. We show that localized regions in the cardiac monolayer can be stimulated enabling us to initiate signal propagation from a precise location. Furthermore, we demonstrate that probing the cardiac cells with multiple light foci enhances the excitability of the cardiac network. This approach opens new applications in manipulating and visualizing the electrical activity in a cardiac syncytium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Junge
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), Hannover, Germany
| | - Felix Schmieder
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique and Competence Center Biomedical Computational Laser Systems (BIOLAS), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Sasse
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Physiology I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen Czarske
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique and Competence Center Biomedical Computational Laser Systems (BIOLAS), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Physics, School of Science and Excellence Cluster Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Leilani Torres-Mapa
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Heisterkamp
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), Hannover, Germany
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9
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Li QH, Xia YX, Xu SX, Song Z, Pan JT, Panfilov AV, Zhang H. Control of spiral waves in optogenetically modified cardiac tissue by periodic optical stimulation. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:044210. [PMID: 35590553 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.044210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Resonant drift of nonlinear spiral waves occurs in various types of excitable media under periodic stimulation. Recently a novel methodology of optogenetics has emerged, which allows to affect excitability of cardiac cells and tissues by optical stimuli. In this paper we study if resonant drift of spiral waves in the heart can be induced by a homogeneous weak periodic optical stimulation of cardiac tissue. We use a two-variable and a detailed model of cardiac tissue and add description of depolarizing and hyperpolarizing optogenetic ionic currents. We show that weak periodic optical stimulation at a frequency equal to the natural rotation frequency of the spiral wave induces resonant drift for both depolarizing and hyperpolarizing optogenetic currents. We quantify these effects and study how the speed of the drift and its direction depend on the initial conditions. We also derive analytical formulas based on the response function theory which correctly predict the drift velocity and its trajectory. We conclude that optogenetic methodology can be used for control of spiral waves in cardiac tissue and discuss its possible applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Hao Li
- Zhejiang Institute of Modern Physics and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Mathematics and Theories, Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518066, China
| | - Yuan-Xun Xia
- Zhejiang Institute of Modern Physics and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Shu-Xiao Xu
- Zhejiang Institute of Modern Physics and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Mathematics and Theories, Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518066, China
| | - Jun-Ting Pan
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China
| | - Alexander V Panfilov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Medicine, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia
- World-Class Research Center "Digital biodesign and personalized healthcare," Sechenov University, Moscow 119146, Russia
| | - Hong Zhang
- Zhejiang Institute of Modern Physics and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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10
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Diaz-Maue L, Steinebach J, Richter C. Patterned Illumination Techniques in Optogenetics: An Insight Into Decelerating Murine Hearts. Front Physiol 2022; 12:750535. [PMID: 35087413 PMCID: PMC8787046 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.750535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Much has been reported about optogenetic based cardiac arrhythmia treatment and the corresponding characterization of photostimulation parameters, but still, our capacity to interact with the underlying spatiotemporal excitation patterns relies mainly on electrical and/or pharmacological approaches. However, these well-established treatments have always been an object of somehow heated discussions. Though being acutely life-saving, they often come with potential side-effects leading to a decreased functionality of the complex cardiac system. Recent optogenetic studies showed the feasibility of the usage of photostimulation as a defibrillation method with comparatively high success rates. Although, these studies mainly concentrated on the description as well as on the comparison of single photodefibrillation approaches, such as locally focused light application and global illumination, less effort was spent on the description of excitation patterns during actual photostimulation. In this study, the authors implemented a multi-site photodefibrillation technique in combination with Multi-Lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). The technical connection of real-time heart rhythm measurements and the arrhythmia counteracting light control provides a further step toward automated arrhythmia classification, which can lead to adaptive photodefibrillation methods. In order to show the power effectiveness of the new approach, transgenic murine hearts expressing channelrhodopsin-2 ex vivo were investigated using circumferential micro-LED and ECG arrays. Thus, combining the best of two methods by giving the possibility to illuminate either locally or globally with differing pulse parameters. The optical technique presented here addresses a number of challenges of technical cardiac optogenetics and is discussed in the context of arrhythmic development during photostimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Diaz-Maue
- Department of Research Electronics, Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany.,Biomedical Physics Research Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e., V.), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Janna Steinebach
- Biomedical Physics Research Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Richter
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK e., V.), Göttingen, Germany.,Laboratory Animal Science Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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11
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Optogenetic manipulation of cardiac electrical dynamics using sub-threshold illumination: dissecting the role of cardiac alternans in terminating rapid rhythms. Basic Res Cardiol 2022; 117:25. [PMID: 35488105 PMCID: PMC9054908 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-022-00933-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac action potential (AP) shape and propagation are regulated by several key dynamic factors such as ion channel recovery and intracellular Ca2+ cycling. Experimental methods for manipulating AP electrical dynamics commonly use ion channel inhibitors that lack spatial and temporal specificity. In this work, we propose an approach based on optogenetics to manipulate cardiac electrical activity employing a light-modulated depolarizing current with intensities that are too low to elicit APs (sub-threshold illumination), but are sufficient to fine-tune AP electrical dynamics. We investigated the effects of sub-threshold illumination in isolated cardiomyocytes and whole hearts by using transgenic mice constitutively expressing a light-gated ion channel (channelrhodopsin-2, ChR2). We find that ChR2-mediated depolarizing current prolongs APs and reduces conduction velocity (CV) in a space-selective and reversible manner. Sub-threshold manipulation also affects the dynamics of cardiac electrical activity, increasing the magnitude of cardiac alternans. We used an optical system that uses real-time feedback control to generate re-entrant circuits with user-defined cycle lengths to explore the role of cardiac alternans in spontaneous termination of ventricular tachycardias (VTs). We demonstrate that VT stability significantly decreases during sub-threshold illumination primarily due to an increase in the amplitude of electrical oscillations, which implies that cardiac alternans may be beneficial in the context of self-termination of VT.
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12
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Ochs AR, Karathanos TV, Trayanova NA, Boyle PM. Optogenetic Stimulation Using Anion Channelrhodopsin (GtACR1) Facilitates Termination of Reentrant Arrhythmias With Low Light Energy Requirements: A Computational Study. Front Physiol 2021; 12:718622. [PMID: 34526912 PMCID: PMC8435849 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.718622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic defibrillation of hearts expressing light-sensitive cation channels (e.g., ChR2) has been proposed as an alternative to conventional electrotherapy. Past modeling work has shown that ChR2 stimulation can depolarize enough myocardium to interrupt arrhythmia, but its efficacy is limited by light attenuation and high energy needs. These shortcomings may be mitigated by using new optogenetic proteins like Guillardia theta Anion Channelrhodopsin (GtACR1), which produces a repolarizing outward current upon illumination. Accordingly, we designed a study to assess the feasibility of GtACR1-based optogenetic arrhythmia termination in human hearts. We conducted electrophysiological simulations in MRI-based atrial or ventricular models (n = 3 each), with pathological remodeling from atrial fibrillation or ischemic cardiomyopathy, respectively. We simulated light sensitization via viral gene delivery of three different opsins (ChR2, red-shifted ChR2, GtACR1) and uniform endocardial illumination at the appropriate wavelengths (blue, red, or green light, respectively). To analyze consistency of arrhythmia termination, we varied pulse timing (three evenly spaced intervals spanning the reentrant cycle) and intensity (atrial: 0.001–1 mW/mm2; ventricular: 0.001–10 mW/mm2). In atrial models, GtACR1 stimulation with 0.005 mW/mm2 green light consistently terminated reentry; this was 10–100x weaker than the threshold levels for ChR2-mediated defibrillation. In ventricular models, defibrillation was observed in 2/3 models for GtACR1 stimulation at 0.005 mW/mm2 (100–200x weaker than ChR2 cases). In the third ventricular model, defibrillation failed in nearly all cases, suggesting that attenuation issues and patient-specific organ/scar geometry may thwart termination in some cases. Across all models, the mechanism of GtACR1-mediated defibrillation was voltage forcing of illuminated tissue toward the modeled channel reversal potential of −40 mV, which made propagation through affected regions impossible. Thus, our findings suggest GtACR1-based optogenetic defibrillation of the human heart may be feasible with ≈2–3 orders of magnitude less energy than ChR2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Ochs
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Thomas V Karathanos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Natalia A Trayanova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Alliance for Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Innovation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Patrick M Boyle
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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13
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Nyns ECA, Jin T, Fontes MS, van den Heuvel T, Portero V, Ramsey C, Bart CI, Zeppenfeld K, Schalij MJ, van Brakel TJ, Ramkisoensing AA, Qi Zhang G, Poelma RH, Ördög B, de Vries AAF, Pijnappels DA. Optical ventricular cardioversion by local optogenetic targeting and LED implantation in a cardiomyopathic rat model. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 118:2293-2303. [PMID: 34528100 PMCID: PMC9328286 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) are common in the pathologically remodelled heart. These arrhythmias can be lethal, necessitating acute treatment like electrical cardioversion to restore normal rhythm. Recently, it has been proposed that cardioversion may also be realized via optically controlled generation of bioelectricity by the arrhythmic heart itself through optogenetics and therefore without the need of traumatizing high-voltage shocks. However, crucial mechanistic and translational aspects of this strategy have remained largely unaddressed. Therefore, we investigated optogenetic termination of VTs 1) in the pathologically remodelled heart using a 2) implantable multi-LED device for 3) in vivo closed-chest, local illumination. METHODS AND RESULTS In order to mimic a clinically relevant sequence of events, transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was applied to adult male Wistar rats before optogenetic modification. This modification took place three weeks later by intravenous delivery of adeno-associated virus vectors encoding red-activatable channelrhodopsin (ReaChR) or Citrine for control experiments. At 8 to 10 weeks after TAC, VTs were induced ex vivo and in vivo, followed by programmed local illumination of the ventricular apex by a custom-made implanted multi-LED device. This resulted in effective and repetitive VT termination in the remodelled adult rat heart after optogenetic modification, leading to sustained restoration of sinus rhythm in the intact animal. Mechanistically, studies on the single cell and tissue level revealed collectively that, despite the cardiac remodelling, there were no significant differences in bioelectricity generation and subsequent transmembrane voltage responses between diseased and control animals, thereby providing insight into the observed robustness of optogenetic VT termination. CONCLUSION Our results show that implant-based optical cardioversion of VTs is feasible in the pathologically remodelled heart in vivo after local optogenetic targeting because of preserved optical control over bioelectricity generation. These findings add novel mechanistic and translational insight into optical ventricular cardioversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emile C A Nyns
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tianyi Jin
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Magda S Fontes
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Titus van den Heuvel
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Vincent Portero
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Catilin Ramsey
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Cindy I Bart
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Katja Zeppenfeld
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martin J Schalij
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Arti A Ramkisoensing
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Guo Qi Zhang
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - René H Poelma
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Balazs Ördög
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Antoine A F de Vries
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Daniël A Pijnappels
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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14
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Scalco A, Moro N, Mongillo M, Zaglia T. Neurohumoral Cardiac Regulation: Optogenetics Gets Into the Groove. Front Physiol 2021; 12:726895. [PMID: 34531763 PMCID: PMC8438220 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.726895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the main modulator of heart function, adapting contraction force, and rate to the continuous variations of intrinsic and extrinsic environmental conditions. While the parasympathetic branch dominates during rest-and-digest sympathetic neuron (SN) activation ensures the rapid, efficient, and repeatable increase of heart performance, e.g., during the "fight-or-flight response." Although the key role of the nervous system in cardiac homeostasis was evident to the eyes of physiologists and cardiologists, the degree of cardiac innervation, and the complexity of its circuits has remained underestimated for too long. In addition, the mechanisms allowing elevated efficiency and precision of neurogenic control of heart function have somehow lingered in the dark. This can be ascribed to the absence of methods adequate to study complex cardiac electric circuits in the unceasingly moving heart. An increasing number of studies adds to the scenario the evidence of an intracardiac neuron system, which, together with the autonomic components, define a little brain inside the heart, in fervent dialogue with the central nervous system (CNS). The advent of optogenetics, allowing control the activity of excitable cells with cell specificity, spatial selectivity, and temporal resolution, has allowed to shed light on basic neuro-cardiology. This review describes how optogenetics, which has extensively been used to interrogate the circuits of the CNS, has been applied to untangle the knots of heart innervation, unveiling the cellular mechanisms of neurogenic control of heart function, in physiology and pathology, as well as those participating to brain-heart communication, back and forth. We discuss existing literature, providing a comprehensive view of the advancement in the understanding of the mechanisms of neurogenic heart control. In addition, we weigh the limits and potential of optogenetics in basic and applied research in neuro-cardiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Scalco
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Moro
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Mongillo
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Tania Zaglia
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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15
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Li J, Li H, Rao P, Luo J, Wang X, Wang L. Shining light on cardiac electrophysiology: From detection to intervention, from basic research to translational applications. Life Sci 2021; 274:119357. [PMID: 33737082 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are an important group of cardiovascular diseases, which can occur alone or in association with other cardiovascular diseases. The development of cardiac arrhythmias cannot be separated from changes in cardiac electrophysiology, and the investigation and clarification of cardiac electrophysiological changes are beneficial for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. However, electrical energy-based pacemakers and defibrillators, which are widely used to treat arrhythmias, still have certain disadvantages. Thereby, optics promises to be used for optical manipulation and its use in biomedicine is increasing. Since visible light is readily absorbed and scattered in living tissues and tissue penetration is shallow, optical modulation for cells and tissues requires conversion media that convert light energy into bioelectrical activity. In this regard, fluorescent dyes, light-sensitive ion channels, and optical nanomaterials can assume this role, the corresponding optical mapping technology, optogenetics technology, and optical systems based on luminescent nanomaterials have been introduced into the research in cardiovascular field and are expected to be new tools for the study and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. In addition, infrared and near-infrared light has strong tissue penetration, which is one of the excellent options of external trigger for achieving optical modulation, and is also widely used in the study of optical modulation of biological activities. Here, the advantages of optical applications are summarized, the research progresses and emerging applications of optical-based technologies as detection and intervention tools for cardiac electrophysiological are highlighted. Moreover, the prospects for future applications of optics in clinical diagnosis and treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyi Li
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan 430060, PR China
| | - Haitao Li
- Department of Cardiology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou 570311, PR China
| | - Panpan Rao
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan 430060, PR China
| | - Junmiao Luo
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan 430060, PR China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan 430060, PR China.
| | - Long Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China.
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16
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Hussaini S, Venkatesan V, Biasci V, Romero Sepúlveda JM, Quiñonez Uribe RA, Sacconi L, Bub G, Richter C, Krinski V, Parlitz U, Majumder R, Luther S. Drift and termination of spiral waves in optogenetically modified cardiac tissue at sub-threshold illumination. eLife 2021; 10:59954. [PMID: 33502313 PMCID: PMC7840178 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new approaches to control cardiac arrhythmias requires a deep understanding of spiral wave dynamics. Optogenetics offers new possibilities for this. Preliminary experiments show that sub-threshold illumination affects electrical wave propagation in the mouse heart. However, a systematic exploration of these effects is technically challenging. Here, we use state-of-the-art computer models to study the dynamic control of spiral waves in a two-dimensional model of the adult mouse ventricle, using stationary and non-stationary patterns of sub-threshold illumination. Our results indicate a light-intensity-dependent increase in cellular resting membrane potentials, which together with diffusive cell-cell coupling leads to the development of spatial voltage gradients over differently illuminated areas. A spiral wave drifts along the positive gradient. These gradients can be strategically applied to ensure drift-induced termination of a spiral wave, both in optogenetics and in conventional methods of electrical defibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayedeh Hussaini
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Goettingen University, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Vishalini Venkatesan
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,University Medical Center Goettingen, Clinic of Cardiology and Pneumology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Valentina Biasci
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.,Division of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Raul A Quiñonez Uribe
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Leonardo Sacconi
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.,Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,National Institute of Optics, National Research Council, Florence, Italy
| | - Gil Bub
- Department of Physiology, MGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Claudia Richter
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,University Medical Center Goettingen, Clinic of Cardiology and Pneumology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Valentin Krinski
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,INPHYNI, CNRS, Sophia Antipolis, Paris, France
| | - Ulrich Parlitz
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Goettingen University, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Rupamanjari Majumder
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Luther
- Research Group Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Goettingen University, Goettingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,University Medical Center Goettingen, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Goettingen, Germany
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17
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Abstract
The electromechanical function of the heart involves complex, coordinated activity over time and space. Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias arise from asynchrony in these space-time events; therefore, therapies for prevention and treatment require fundamental understanding and the ability to visualize, perturb and control cardiac activity. Optogenetics combines optical and molecular biology (genetic) approaches for light-enabled sensing and actuation of electrical activity with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution and parallelism. The year 2020 marks a decade of developments in cardiac optogenetics since this technology was adopted from neuroscience and applied to the heart. In this Review, we appraise a decade of advances that define near-term (immediate) translation based on all-optical electrophysiology, including high-throughput screening, cardiotoxicity testing and personalized medicine assays, and long-term (aspirational) prospects for clinical translation of cardiac optogenetics, including new optical therapies for rhythm control. The main translational opportunities and challenges for optogenetics to be fully embraced in cardiology are also discussed.
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18
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Cardiac Optogenetics in Atrial Fibrillation: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:8814092. [PMID: 33195698 PMCID: PMC7641281 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8814092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Although rarely life-threatening on short term, atrial fibrillation leads to increased mortality and decreased quality of life through its complications, including heart failure and stroke. Recent studies highlight the benefits of maintaining sinus rhythm. However, pharmacological long-term rhythm control strategies may be shadowed by associated proarrhythmic effects. At the same time, electrical cardioversion is limited to hospitals, while catheter ablation therapy, although effective, is invasive and is dedicated to specific patients, usually with low amounts of atrial fibrosis (preferably Utah I-II). Cardiac optogenetics allows influencing the heart's electrical activity by applying specific wavelength light pulses to previously engineered cardiomyocytes into expressing microbial derived light-sensitive proteins called opsins. The resulting ion influx may give rise to either hyperpolarizing or depolarizing currents, thus offering a therapeutic potential in cardiac electrophysiology, including pacing, resynchronization, and arrhythmia termination. Optogenetic atrial fibrillation cardioversion might be achieved by inducing a conduction block or filling of the excitable gap. The authors agree that transmural opsin expression and appropriate illumination with an exposure time longer than the arrhythmia cycle length are necessary to achieve successful arrhythmia termination. However, the efficiency and safety of biological cardioversion in humans remain to be seen, as well as side effects such as immune reactions and loss of opsin expression. The possibility of delivering pain-free shocks with out-of-hospital biological cardioversion is tempting; however, there are several issues that need to be addressed first: applicability and safety in humans, long-term behaviour, anticoagulation requirements, and fibrosis interactions.
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19
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Li J, Wang L, Luo J, Li H, Rao P, Cheng Y, Wang X, Huang C. Optical capture and defibrillation in rats with monocrotaline-induced myocardial fibrosis 1 year after a single intravenous injection of adeno-associated virus channelrhodopsin-2. Heart Rhythm 2020; 18:109-117. [PMID: 32781160 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optogenetics uses light to regulate cardiac rhythms and terminate malignant arrhythmias. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term validity of optical capture properties based on virus-transfected channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and evaluate the effects of optogenetic-based defibrillation in an in vivo rat model of myocardial fibrosis enhanced by monocrotaline (MCT). METHODS Fifteen infant rats received jugular vein injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV). After 8 weeks, 5 rats were randomly selected to verify the effectiveness ChR2 transfection. The remaining rats were administered MCT at 11 months. Four weeks after MCT, the availability of 473-nm blue light to capture heart rhythm in these rats was verified again. Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) were induced by burst stimulation on the basis of enhanced myocardial fibrosis, and the termination effects of the optical manipulation were tested. RESULTS Eight weeks after AAV injection, there was ChR2 expression throughout the ventricular myocardium as reflected by both fluorescence imaging and optical pacing. Four weeks after MCT, significant myocardial fibrosis was achieved. Light could still trigger the corresponding ectopic heart rhythm, and the pulse width and illumination area could affect the light capture rate. VT/VF was induced successfully in 1-year-observation rats, and the rate of termination of VT/VF under light was much higher than that of spontaneous termination. CONCLUSION Viral ChR2 transfection can play a long-term role in the rat heart, and light can successfully regulate heart rhythm and defibrillate after cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyi Li
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Junmiao Luo
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Li
- Department of Cardiology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Panpan Rao
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Congxin Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Cheng Y, Li H, Wang L, Li J, Kang W, Rao P, Zhou F, Wang X, Huang C. Optogenetic approaches for termination of ventricular tachyarrhythmias after myocardial infarction in rats in vivo. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2020; 13:e202000003. [PMID: 32246523 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202000003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac optogenetics facilitates the painless manipulation of the heart with optical energy and was recently shown to terminate ventricular tachycardia (VT) in explanted mice heart. This study aimed to evaluate the optogenetic-based termination of induced VT under ischemia in an open-chest rat model and to develop an optimal, optical-manipulation procedure. VT was induced by burst stimulation after ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and the termination effects of the optical manipulation, including electrical anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) and spontaneous recovery, were tested. Among different multisegment optical modes, four repeated illuminations of 1000 ms in duration with 1-second interval at a 20-times intensity threshold on the right ventricle achieved the highest termination rate of 86.14% ± 4.145%, higher than that achieved by ATP and spontaneous termination. We demonstrated that optogenetic-based cardioversion is feasible and effective in vivo, with the underlying mechanism involving the light-triggered, ChR2-induced depolarization of the illuminated myocardium, in turn generating an excitation that disrupts the preexisting reentrant wave front.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Li
- Department of Cardiology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Long Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianyi Li
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Kang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Panpan Rao
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Zhou
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Cardiology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Congxin Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
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21
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Zgierski-Johnston CM, Ayub S, Fernández MC, Rog-Zielinska EA, Barz F, Paul O, Kohl P, Ruther P. Cardiac pacing using transmural multi-LED probes in channelrhodopsin-expressing mouse hearts. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 154:51-61. [PMID: 31738979 PMCID: PMC7322525 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics enables cell-type specific monitoring and actuation via light-activated proteins. In cardiac research, expressing light-activated depolarising ion channels in cardiomyocytes allows optical pacing and defibrillation. Previous studies largely relied on epicardial illumination. Light penetration through the myocardium is however problematic when moving to larger animals and humans. To overcome this limitation, we assessed the utility of an implantable multi light-emitting diode (LED) optical probe (IMLOP) for intramural pacing of mouse hearts expressing cardiac-specific channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). Here we demonstrated that IMLOP insertion needs approximately 20 mN of force, limiting possible damage from excessive loads applied during implantation. Histological sections confirmed the confined nature of tissue damage during acute use. The temperature change of the surrounding tissue was below 1 K during LED operation, rendering the probe safe for use in situ. This was confirmed in control experiments where no effect on cardiac action potential conduction was observed even when using stimulation parameters twenty-fold greater than required for pacing. In situ experiments on ChR2-expressing mouse hearts demonstrated that optical stimulation is possible with light intensities as low as 700 μW/mm2; although stable pacing requires higher intensities. When pacing with a single LED, rheobase and chronaxie values were 13.3 mW/mm2 ± 0.9 mW/mm2 and 3 ms ± 0.6 ms, respectively. When doubling the stimulated volume the rheobase decreased significantly (6.5 mW/mm2 ± 0.9 mW/mm2). We have demonstrated IMLOP-based intramural optical pacing of the heart. Probes cause locally constrained tissue damage in the acute setting and require low light intensities for pacing. Further development is necessary to assess effects of chronic implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Zgierski-Johnston
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - S Ayub
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - M C Fernández
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - E A Rog-Zielinska
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - F Barz
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - O Paul
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - P Kohl
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - P Ruther
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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22
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Richter C, Bruegmann T. No light without the dark: Perspectives and hindrances for translation of cardiac optogenetics. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 154:39-50. [PMID: 31515056 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2019.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, optogenetic stimulation of the heart and its translational potential for rhythm control attracted more and more interest. Optogenetics allows to stimulate cardiomyocytes expressing the light-gated cation channel Channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) with light and thus high spatio-temporal precision. Therefore this new approach can overcome the technical limitations of electrical stimulation. In regard of translational approaches, the prospect of pain-free stimulation, if ChR2 expression is restricted to cardiomyocytes, is especially intriguing and could be highly beneficial for cardioversion and defibrillation. However, there is no light without shadow and cardiac optogenetics has to surmount critical hurdles, namely "how" to inscribe light-sensitivity by expressing ChR2 in a native heart and how to avoid side effects such as possible immune responses against the gene transfer. Furthermore, implantable light devices have to be developed which ensure sufficient illumination in a highly contractile environment. Therefore this article reviews recent advantages in the field of cardiac optogenetics with a special focus on the hindrances for the potential translation of this new approach into clinics and provides an outlook how these have to be carefully investigated and could be solved step by step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Richter
- RG Biomedical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics & Self-Organization, Am Fassberg 17, 37077, Goettingen, Germany; Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center, Robert-Koch-Str. 42a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany; DZHK e.V. (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Goettingen, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Tobias Bruegmann
- DZHK e.V. (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Goettingen, 37075, Goettingen, Germany; Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Goettingen, Germany.
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23
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Sasse P, Funken M, Beiert T, Bruegmann T. Optogenetic Termination of Cardiac Arrhythmia: Mechanistic Enlightenment and Therapeutic Application? Front Physiol 2019; 10:675. [PMID: 31244670 PMCID: PMC6563676 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic methods enable selective de- and hyperpolarization of cardiomyocytes expressing light-sensitive proteins within the myocardium. By using light, this technology provides very high spatial and temporal precision, which is in clear contrast to electrical stimulation. In addition, cardiomyocyte-specific expression would allow pain-free stimulation. In light of these intrinsic technical advantages, optogenetic methods provide an intriguing opportunity to understand and improve current strategies to terminate cardiac arrhythmia as well as for possible pain-free arrhythmia termination in patients in the future. In this review, we give a concise introduction to optogenetic stimulation of cardiomyocytes and the whole heart and summarize the recent progress on optogenetic defibrillation and cardioversion to terminate cardiac arrhythmia. Toward this aim, we specifically focus on the different mechanisms of optogenetic arrhythmia termination and how these might influence the prerequisites for success. Furthermore, we critically discuss the clinical perspectives and potential patient populations, which might benefit from optogenetic defibrillation devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Sasse
- Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maximilian Funken
- Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Beiert
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Bruegmann
- Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Research Training Group 1873, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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24
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O’Shea C, Holmes AP, Winter J, Correia J, Ou X, Dong R, He S, Kirchhof P, Fabritz L, Rajpoot K, Pavlovic D. Cardiac Optogenetics and Optical Mapping - Overcoming Spectral Congestion in All-Optical Cardiac Electrophysiology. Front Physiol 2019; 10:182. [PMID: 30899227 PMCID: PMC6416196 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic control of the heart is an emergent technology that offers unparalleled spatio-temporal control of cardiac dynamics via light-sensitive ion pumps and channels (opsins). This fast-evolving technique holds broad scope in both clinical and basic research setting. Combination of optogenetics with optical mapping of voltage or calcium fluorescent probes facilitates 'all-optical' electrophysiology, allowing precise optogenetic actuation of cardiac tissue with high spatio-temporal resolution imaging of action potential and calcium transient morphology and conduction patterns. In this review, we provide a synopsis of optogenetics and discuss in detail its use and compatibility with optical interrogation of cardiac electrophysiology. We briefly discuss the benefits of all-optical cardiac control and electrophysiological interrogation compared to traditional techniques, and describe mechanisms, unique features and limitations of optically induced cardiac control. In particular, we focus on state-of-the-art setup design, challenges in light delivery and filtering, and compatibility of opsins with fluorescent reporters used in optical mapping. The interaction of cardiac tissue with light, and physical and computational approaches to overcome the 'spectral congestion' that arises from the combination of optogenetics and optical mapping are discussed. Finally, we summarize recent preclinical work applications of combined cardiac optogenetics and optical mapping approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher O’Shea
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Physical Sciences for Health, School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew P. Holmes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - James Winter
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Joao Correia
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Xianhong Ou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease/Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Ruirui Dong
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease/Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Shicheng He
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease/Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Paulus Kirchhof
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiology, UHB NHS Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Larissa Fabritz
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiology, UHB NHS Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kashif Rajpoot
- School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Davor Pavlovic
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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