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Human atrial myocytes afford an attractive experimental model to investigate mechanisms underlying electrophysiological alterations in cardiovascular disease. However, this model presents limitations, such as the availability of human atrial tissue and a variable yield of myocytes isolation. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether overnight storage can increase the time window where the electrophysiological properties of human atrial myocytes can be determined. To address this issue, human atrial myocytes isolated from patients undergoing cardiac surgery were used for patch-clamp experiments on the day of cell isolation (Day 1) and the following day (Day 2). The shape of the current-voltage (I-V) relationship for the calcium current (I Ca ) depended on the access resistance and the cell capacitance, with large cells (>75 pF) requiring a lower access resistance (<15 MΩ) than small cells (<40 pF) to avoid distortion of the I-V curve. Importantly, overnight storage did not significantly affect (1) the I Ca amplitude or properties, (2) sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium homeostasis or (3) the frequency-dependency of the beat-to-beat response. In conclusion, overnight storage of isolated human atrial myocytes at 4 °C does not affect essential features of intracellular calcium homeostasis and, therefore, affords a simple protocol to extend the experimental lifetime of human atrial myocytes.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia in humans. Genetic and genomic analyses have recently demonstrated that the homeobox transcription factor Pitx2 plays a fundamental role regulating expression of distinct growth factors, microRNAs and ion channels leading to morphological and molecular alterations that promote the onset of AF. Here we address the plausible contribution of long non-coding (lnc)RNAs within the Pitx2>Wnt>miRNA signaling pathway. In silico analyses of annotated lncRNAs in the vicinity of the Pitx2, Wnt8 and Wnt11 chromosomal loci identified five novel lncRNAs with differential expression during cardiac development. Importantly, three of them, Walaa, Walras, and Wallrd, are evolutionarily conserved in humans and displayed preferential atrial expression during embryogenesis. In addition, Walrad displayed moderate expression during embryogenesis but was more abundant in the right atrium. Walaa, Walras and Wallrd were distinctly regulated by Pitx2, Wnt8, and Wnt11, and Wallrd was severely elevated in conditional atrium-specific Pitx2-deficient mice. Furthermore, pro-arrhythmogenic and pro-hypertrophic substrate administration to primary cardiomyocyte cell cultures consistently modulate expression of these lncRNAs, supporting distinct modulatory roles of the AF cardiovascular risk factors in the regulation of these lncRNAs. Walras affinity pulldown assays revealed its association with distinct cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins previously involved in cardiac pathophysiology, while loss-of-function assays further support a pivotal role of this lncRNA in cytoskeletal organization. We propose that lncRNAs Walaa, Walras and Wallrd, distinctly regulated by Pitx2>Wnt>miRNA signaling and pro-arrhythmogenic and pro-hypertrophic factors, are implicated in atrial arrhythmogenesis, and Walras additionally in cardiomyocyte cytoarchitecture., (© 2021 The Authors. The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Rationale: Ca 2+ alternans plays an essential role in cardiac alternans that can lead to ventricular fibrillation, but the mechanism underlying Ca 2+ alternans remains undefined. Increasing evidence suggests that Ca 2+ alternans results from alternations in the inactivation of cardiac RyR2 (ryanodine receptor 2). However, what inactivates RyR2 and how RyR2 inactivation leads to Ca 2+ alternans are unknown., Objective: To determine the role of CaM (calmodulin) on Ca 2+ alternans in intact working mouse hearts., Methods and Results: We used an in vivo local gene delivery approach to alter CaM function by directly injecting adenoviruses expressing CaM-wild type, a loss-of-function CaM mutation, CaM (1-4), and a gain-of-function mutation, CaM-M37Q, into the anterior wall of the left ventricle of RyR2 wild type or mutant mouse hearts. We monitored Ca 2+ transients in ventricular myocytes near the adenovirus-injection sites in Langendorff-perfused intact working hearts using confocal Ca 2+ imaging. We found that CaM-wild type and CaM-M37Q promoted Ca 2+ alternans and prolonged Ca 2+ transient recovery in intact RyR2 wild type and mutant hearts, whereas CaM (1-4) exerted opposite effects. Altered CaM function also affected the recovery from inactivation of the L-type Ca 2+ current but had no significant impact on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ content. Furthermore, we developed a novel numerical myocyte model of Ca 2+ alternans that incorporates Ca 2+ -CaM-dependent regulation of RyR2 and the L-type Ca 2+ channel. Remarkably, the new model recapitulates the impact on Ca 2+ alternans of altered CaM and RyR2 functions under 9 different experimental conditions. Our simulations reveal that diastolic cytosolic Ca 2+ elevation as a result of rapid pacing triggers Ca 2+ -CaM dependent inactivation of RyR2. The resultant RyR2 inactivation diminishes sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ release, which, in turn, reduces diastolic cytosolic Ca 2+ , leading to alternations in diastolic cytosolic Ca 2+ , RyR2 inactivation, and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ release (ie, Ca 2+ alternans)., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that inactivation of RyR2 by Ca 2+ -CaM is a major determinant of Ca 2+ alternans, making Ca 2+ -CaM dependent regulation of RyR2 an important therapeutic target for cardiac alternans.

Background: Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. We previously showed that ROCK2 expression is elevated in diabetic rat hearts, and that ROCK inhibition acutely improves their contractile function. In the present study we investigated whether inhibition of ROCK or partial deletion of ROCK2 improves impaired Ca 2+ handling in the diabetic heart., Methods: Contractile properties and Ca 2+ transients were measured before and after treatment with the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 (1 μM) in fluo-4-loaded cardiomyocytes isolated from streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic or non-diabetic rats. Cardiac function was determined in vivo, and contractile properties and Ca 2+ transients also measured in cardiomyocytes from non-diabetic and STZ-diabetic wild-type (WT) and ROCK2+/- mice., Results: ROCK inhibition improved some parameters of contractile function and Ca 2+ handling in cardiomyocytes from diabetic rat hearts. In addition, ROCK inhibition attenuated the diabetes-induced delayed aftercontractions (DACs) and associated irregular Ca 2+ transients induced by increased [Ca 2+ ]o. Although no overt cardiac dysfunction was detected in diabetic WT mice, cardiomyocytes from these mice also developed arrhythmic Ca 2+ transients in response to increased [Ca 2+ ]. These were attenuated in cardiomyocytes from diabetic ROCK2+/- mice, in association with decreased diastolic Ca 2+ leak and with reduction of the diabetes-induced increased phosphorylation of both CaMKII and the ryanodine receptor (RyR)., Conclusions: These data suggest that ROCK2 contributes to diabetes-induced impaired cardiac Ca 2+ homeostasis, at least in part by promoting CaMKII-mediated phosphorylation of RyR. This may have important clinical implications for the treatment of the increased incidence of dysrhythmias in diabetes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sudden unexpected death of an infant (SUDI) is a devastating occurrence for families. To investigate the genetic pathogenesis of SUDI, we sequenced >70 genes from 191 autopsy-negative SUDI victims. Ten infants sharing a previously unknown variant in troponin I (TnI) were identified. The mutation ( TNNI1 R37C +/- ) is in the fetal/neonatal paralog of TnI, a gene thought to be expressed in the heart up to the first 24 months of life. Using phylogenetic analysis and molecular dynamics simulations, it was determined that arginine at residue 37 in TNNI1 may play a critical functional role, suggesting that the variant may be pathogenic. We investigated the biophysical properties of the TNNI1 R37C mutation in human reconstituted thin filaments (RTFs) using fluorometry. RTFs reconstituted with the mutant R37C TnI exhibited reduced Ca 2+ -binding sensitivity due to an increased Ca 2+ off-rate constant. Furthermore, we generated TNNI1 R37C +/- mutants in human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) using CRISPR-Cas9. In monolayers of hiPSC-CMs, we simultaneously monitored voltage and Ca 2+ transients through optical mapping and compared them to their isogenic controls. We observed normal intrinsic beating patterns under control conditions in TNNI1 R37C +/- at stimulation frequencies of 55 beats/min (bpm), but these cells showed no restitution with increased stimulation frequency to 65 bpm and exhibited alternans at >75 bpm. The WT hiPSC-CMs did not exhibit any sign of arrhythmogenicity even at stimulation frequencies of 120 bpm. The approach used in this study provides critical physiological and mechanistic bases to investigate sarcomeric mutations in the pathogenesis of SUDI., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Aims: Single nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 4q25 have been associated with risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) but the exiguous knowledge of the mechanistic links between these risk variants and underlying electrophysiological alterations hampers their clinical utility. Here, we tested the hypothesis that 4q25 risk variants cause alterations in the intracellular calcium homoeostasis that predispose to spontaneous electrical activity., Methods and Results: Western blotting, confocal calcium imaging, and patch-clamp techniques were used to identify mechanisms linking the 4q25 risk variants rs2200733T and rs13143308T to defects in the calcium homoeostasis in human atrial myocytes. Our findings revealed that the rs13143308T variant was more frequent in patients with AF and that myocytes from carriers of this variant had a significantly higher density of calcium sparks (14.1 ± 4.5 vs. 3.1 ± 1.3 events/min, P = 0.02), frequency of transient inward currents (ITI) (1.33 ± 0.24 vs. 0.26 ± 0.09 events/min, P < 0.001) and incidence of spontaneous membrane depolarizations (1.22 ± 0.26 vs. 0.56 ± 0.17 events/min, P = 0.001) than myocytes from patients with the normal rs13143308G variant. These alterations were linked to higher sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium loading (10.2 ± 1.4 vs. 7.3 ± 0.5 amol/pF, P = 0.01), SERCA2 expression (1.37 ± 0.13 fold, P = 0.03), and RyR2 phosphorylation at ser2808 (0.67 ± 0.08 vs. 0.47 ± 0.03, P = 0.01) but not at ser2814 (0.28 ± 0.14 vs. 0.31 ± 0.14, P = 0.61) in patients carrying the rs13143308T risk variant. Furthermore, the presence of a risk variant or AF independently increased the ITI frequency and the increase in the ITI frequency observed in carriers of the risk variants was exacerbated in those with AF. By contrast, the presence of a risk variant did not affect the amplitude or properties of the L-type calcium current in patients with or without AF., Conclusions: Here, we identify the 4q25 variant rs13143308T as a genetic risk marker for AF, specifically associated with excessive calcium release and spontaneous electrical activity linked to increased SERCA2 expression and RyR2 phosphorylation., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR2s) are Ca 2+ release channels clustering in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. These clusters are believed to be the elementary units of Ca 2+ release. The distribution of these Ca 2+ release units plays a critical role in determining the spatio-temporal profile and stability of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ release. RyR2 clusters located in the interior of cardiomyocytes are arranged in highly ordered arrays. However, little is known about the distribution and function of RyR2 clusters in the periphery of cardiomyocytes. Here, we used a knock-in mouse model expressing a green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged RyR2 to localize RyR2 clusters in live ventricular myocytes by virtue of their GFP fluorescence. Confocal imaging and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was employed to determine and compare the distribution of GFP-RyR2 in the interior and periphery of isolated live ventricular myocytes and in intact hearts. We found tightly ordered arrays of GFP-RyR2 clusters in the interior, as previously described. In contrast, irregular distribution of GFP-RyR2 clusters was observed in the periphery. Time-lapse total internal reflection fluorescence imaging revealed dynamic movements of GFP-RyR2 clusters in the periphery, which were affected by external Ca 2+ and RyR2 activator (caffeine) and inhibitor (tetracaine), but little detectable movement of GFP-RyR2 clusters in the interior. Furthermore, simultaneous Ca 2+ - and GFP-imaging demonstrated that peripheral RyR2 clusters with an irregular distribution pattern are functional with a Ca 2+ release profile similar to that in the interior. These results indicate that the distribution of RyR2 clusters in the periphery of live ventricular myocytes is irregular and dynamic, which is different from that of RyR2 clusters in the interior., (Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

MicroRNAs (miR) have considerable potential as therapeutic tools in cardiac diseases. Alterations in atrial miR are involved in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the molecular mechanism underlying their contribution to atrial remodeling in chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF) is only partially understood. Here we used miR array to analyze the miR profile of atrial biopsies from sinus rhythm (SR) and CAF patients. qRT-PCR identified a distinctive CAF-miR signature and described conserved miR-208b upregulation in human and ovine AF atrial tissue. We used bioinformatics analysis to predict genes and signaling pathways as putative miR-208b targets, which highlighted genes from the cardiac muscle gene program and from canonical WNT, gap-junction and Ca 2+ signaling networks. Results from analysis of miR-208b-overexpressing HL-1 atrial myocytes and from myocytes isolated from CAF patients showed that aberrant miR-208b levels reduced the expression and function of L-type Ca 2+ channel subunits (CACNA1C and CACNB2) as well as the sarcoplasmic reticulum-Ca 2+ pump SERCA2. These findings clearly pointed to CAF-specific upregulated miR-208b as an important mediator in Ca 2+ handling impairment during atrial remodeling., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been associated with increased spontaneous calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and linked to increased adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) expression and activation. Here we tested whether this may favor atrial arrhythmogenesis by promoting beat-to-beat alternation and irregularity. Patch-clamp and confocal calcium imaging was used to measure the beat-to-beat response of the calcium current and transient in human atrial myocytes. Responses were classified as uniform, alternating or irregular and stimulation of Gs-protein coupled receptors decreased the frequency where a uniform response could be maintained from 1.0 ± 0.1 to 0.6 ± 0.1 Hz; p < 0.01 for beta-adrenergic receptors and from 1.4 ± 0.1 to 0.5 ± 0.1 Hz; p < 0.05 for A2ARs. The latter was linked to increased spontaneous calcium release and after-depolarizations. Moreover, A2AR activation increased the fraction of non-uniformly responding cells in HL-1 myocyte cultures from 19 ± 3 to 51 ± 9 %; p < 0.02, and electrical mapping in perfused porcine atria revealed that adenosine induced electrical alternans at longer cycle lengths, doubled the fraction of electrodes showing alternation, and increased the amplitude of alternations. Importantly, protein kinase A inhibition increased the highest frequency where uniform responses could be maintained from 0.84 ± 0.12 to 1.86 ± 0.11 Hz; p < 0.001 and prevention of A2AR-activation with exogenous adenosine deaminase selectively increased the threshold from 0.8 ± 0.1 to 1.2 ± 0.1 Hz; p = 0.001 in myocytes from patients with AF. In conclusion, A2AR-activation promotes beat-to-beat irregularities in the calcium transient in human atrial myocytes, and prevention of A2AR activation may be a novel means to maintain uniform beat-to-beat responses at higher beating frequencies in patients with atrial fibrillation.

The cardiac Ca(2+) release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR2) plays an essential role in excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac muscle cells. Effective and stable excitation-contraction coupling critically depends not only on the expression of RyR2, but also on its distribution. Despite its importance, little is known about the distribution and organization of RyR2 in living cells. To study the distribution of RyR2 in living cardiomyocytes, we generated a knock-in mouse model expressing a GFP-tagged RyR2 (GFP-RyR2). Confocal imaging of live ventricular myocytes isolated from the GFP-RyR2 mouse heart revealed clusters of GFP-RyR2 organized in rows with a striated pattern. Similar organization of GFP-RyR2 clusters was observed in fixed ventricular myocytes. Immunofluorescence staining with the anti-α-actinin antibody (a z-line marker) showed that nearly all GFP-RyR2 clusters were localized in the z-line zone. There were small regions with dislocated GFP-RyR2 clusters. Interestingly, these same regions also displayed dislocated z-lines. Staining with di-8-ANEPPS revealed that nearly all GFP-RyR2 clusters were co-localized with transverse but not longitudinal tubules, whereas staining with MitoTracker Red showed that GFP-RyR2 clusters were not co-localized with mitochondria in live ventricular myocytes. We also found GFP-RyR2 clusters interspersed between z-lines only at the periphery of live ventricular myocytes. Simultaneous detection of GFP-RyR2 clusters and Ca(2+) sparks showed that Ca(2+) sparks originated exclusively from RyR2 clusters. Ca(2+) sparks from RyR2 clusters induced no detectable changes in mitochondrial Ca(2+) level. These results reveal, for the first time, the distribution of RyR2 clusters and its functional correlation in living ventricular myocytes., (© 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

The maintenance of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA2) activity is crucial for cardiac function and SERCA2 is dramatically reduced in the heart exposed to hypoxic/ischemic conditions. Previous work from our group showed that hypoxia upregulates the phosphorylated form of the Ca(2+)-dependent nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (pPyk2) protein levels in a low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP1)-dependent manner. Pyk2 in turn may modulate SERCA2 in cardiomyocytes although this remains controversial. We therefore aimed to investigate the role of LRP1 on hypoxia-induced SERCA2 depletion in cardiomyocytes and to establish LRP1 signalling mechanisms involved. Western blot analysis showed that hypoxia reduced SERCA2 concomitantly with a sustained increase in LRP1 and pPyk2 protein levels in HL-1 cardiomyocytes. By impairing hypoxia-induced Pyk2 phosphorylation and HIF-1α accumulation, LRP1 deficiency prevented SERCA2 depletion and reduction of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, the inhibition of Pyk2 phosphorylation (with the Src-family inhibitor PP2) or the specific silencing of Pyk2 (with siRNA-anti Pyk2) preserved low HIF-1α and high SERCA2 levels in HL-1 cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia. We determined that the LRP1/Pyk2 axis represses SERCA2 mRNA expression via HIF-1α since HIF-1α overexpression abolished the protective effect of LRP1 deficiency on SERCA2 depletion. Our findings show a crucial role of LRP1/Pyk2/HIF-1α in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte SERCA2 downregulation, a pathophysiological process closely associated with heart failure., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Ageing-related cardiac disorders such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation often present with intracellular calcium homeostasis dysfunction. However, knowledge of the intrinsic effects of ageing on cellular calcium handling in the human heart is sparse. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse how ageing affects key mechanisms that regulate intracellular calcium in human atrial myocytes., Methods and Results: Whole membrane currents and intracellular calcium transients were measured in isolated human right atrial myocytes from 80 patients with normal left atrial dimensions and no history of atrial fibrillation. Patients were categorized as young (<55 years, n = 21), middle aged (55-74 years, n = 42), and old (≥75 years, n = 17). Protein levels were determined by western blot. Ageing was associated with the following electrophysiological changes: (i) a 3.2-fold decrease in the calcium transient (P < 0.01); (ii) reduction of the L-type calcium current (ICa) amplitude (2.4 ± 0.3 pA/pF vs. 1.4 ± 0.2 pA/pF, P < 0.01); (iii) lower levels of L-type calcium channel alpha-subunit (P < 0.05); (iv) lower rates of both fast (14.5 ± 0.9 ms vs. 20.9 ± 1.9, P < 0.01) and slow (73 ± 3 vs. 120 ± 12 ms, P < 0.001) ICa inactivation; and (v) a decrease in the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content (10.1 ± 0.8 vs. 6.4 ± 0.6 amol/pF, P < 0.005) associated with a significant decrease in both SERCA2 (P < 0.05) and calsequestrin-2 (P < 0.05) protein levels. In contrast, ageing did not affect spontaneous sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release., Conclusion: Ageing is associated with depression of SR calcium content, L-type calcium current, and calcium transient amplitude that may favour a progressive decline in right atrial contractile function with age., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

We present a novel image processing method to determine the location of ryanodine receptors in cardiac cells. A semi-automatic manual validation by an expert has been used in order to establish the performance of the segmentation method. The approach provides high accuracy under different experimental conditions and it is robust to common sources of noise including experimental, molecular and biological fluctuations.

Aims: Ion channel remodelling and ventricular conduction system (VCS) alterations play relevant roles in the generation of cardiac arrhythmias, but the interaction between ion channel remodelling and cardiac conduction system dysfunctions in an arrhythmogenic context remain unexplored., Methods and Results: We have used a transgenic mouse line previously characterized as an animal model of Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) to analyse ion channel remodelling and VCS configuration. Reverse transcriptase-PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis showed early cardiac sodium channel upregulation at embryonic stages prior to the onset of Kv potassium channel remodelling, and cardiac hypertrophy at foetal stages. In line with these findings, patch-clamp assays demonstrated changes in sodium current density and a slowing of recovery from inactivation. Functional analysis by optical mapping revealed an immature ventricular activation pattern as well as an increase in the total left ventricle activation time in foetal transgenic hearts. Morphological analysis of LQTS transgenic mice in a Cx40(GFP/+)background demonstrated VCS dysmorphogenesis during heart development., Conclusions: Our data demonstrate early sodium channel remodelling secondary to IKs blockage in a mouse model of LQTS leading to morphological and functional anomalies in the developing VCS and cardiac hypertrophy. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying foetal and neonatal cardiac electrophysiological disorders, which might help understand how molecular, functional, and morphological alterations are linked to clinical pathologies such as cardiac congenital anomalies, arrhythmias, and perinatal sudden death.

The damaging effects of high plasma levels of cholesterol in the cardiovascular system are widely known, but little attention has been paid to direct effects on cardiomyocyte function. We therefore aimed at testing the hypothesis that Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol affects calcium dynamics and signal propagation in cultured atrial myocytes. For this purpose, mRNA and protein expression levels were determined by real time PCR and western blot analysis, respectively, and intracellular calcium was visualized in fluo-4 loaded atrial HL-1 myocyte cultures subjected to field stimulation. At low stimulation frequencies all cultures had uniform calcium transients at all tested LDL concentrations. However, 500 µg LDL/mL maximally reduced the calcium transient amplitude by 43% from 0.30 ± 0.04 to 0.17 ± 0.02 (p<0.05). Moreover, LDL-cholesterol dose-dependently increased the fraction of alternating and irregular beat-to-beat responses observed when the stimulation interval was shortened. This effect was linked to a concurrent reduction in SERCA2, RyR2, IP3RI and IP3RII mRNA levels. SERCA2 protein levels were also reduced by 43% at 200 µg LDL/mL (p<0.05) and SR calcium loading was reduced by 38 ± 6% (p<0.001). By contrast, HDL-cholesterol had no significant effect on SERCA expression or SR calcium loading. LDL-cholesterol also slowed the conduction velocity of the calcium signal from 3.2+0.2 mm/s without LDL to 1.7 ± 0.1 mm/s with 500 µg LDL/mL (p<0.05). This coincided with a reduction in Cx40 expression (by 44 ± 3%; p<0.05 for mRNA and by 79 ± 2%; p<0.05 for Cx40 protein at 200 µg/ml LDL) whereas the Cx-43 expression did not significantly change. In conclusion, LDL-cholesterol destabilizes calcium handling in cultured atrial myocytes subjected to rapid pacing by reducing SERCA2 and Cx40 expression and by slowing the conduction velocity of the calcium signal.

We present an automatic method to characterize calcium activity in a culture of cardiac cells from a sequence of microscopy fluorescence images. The approach quantifies both the response of each individual cell in the culture to external field stimulation and the propagation properties of calcium wave-fronts, thus providing complementary information at different physiological levels. The technique classifies the response of each cell as regular or irregular based on a set of dynamical and morphological features of the calcium transients. Isochronal maps were constructed from the local activation times across the culture, and the front propagation was classified as planar or non-planar. The method has been applied to a set of 35 experiments, and the results indicate a significative connection between irregular behavior at the single-cell level and irregular front propagation.

Background: Rapid pacing rates induce alternations in the cytosolic calcium concentration caused by fluctuations in calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). However, the relationship between calcium alternans and refractoriness of the SR calcium release channel (RyR2) remains elusive., Methodology/principal Findings: To investigate how ryanodine receptor (RyR2) refractoriness modulates calcium handling on a beat-to-beat basis using a numerical rabbit cardiomyocyte model. We used a mathematical rabbit cardiomyocyte model to study the beat-to-beat calcium response as a function of RyR2 activation and inactivation. Bi-dimensional maps were constructed depicting the beat-to-beat response. When alternans was observed, a novel numerical clamping protocol was used to determine whether alternans was caused by oscillations in SR calcium loading or by RyR2 refractoriness. Using this protocol, we identified regions of RyR2 gating parameters where SR calcium loading or RyR2 refractoriness underlie the induction of calcium alternans, and we found that at the onset of alternans both mechanisms contribute. At low inactivation rates of the RyR2, calcium alternans was caused by alternation in SR calcium loading, while at low activation rates it was caused by alternation in the level of available RyR2s., Conclusions/significance: We have mapped cardiomyocyte beat-to-beat responses as a function of RyR2 activation and inactivation, identifying domains where SR calcium load or RyR2 refractoriness underlie the induction of calcium alternans. A corollary of this work is that RyR2 refractoriness due to slow recovery from inactivation can be the cause of calcium alternans even when alternation in SR calcium load is present.

Aims: The myocardium accumulates intracellular lipids under ischaemic conditions, and myocardial fat deposition is closely associated with cardiac dysfunction. Our aims were to analyse the effect of hypoxia on low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) expression in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) and cardiac-derived HL-1 cells and the molecular mechanisms involved in this effect, to determine the role of LRP1 in the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) uptake by hypoxic cardiomyocytes, and to study the effect of hypoxia on lipoprotein receptor expression and myocardial lipid profile in an in vivo porcine experimental model of acute myocardial infarction., Methods and Results: Thin-layer chromatography after lipid extraction showed that VLDL exposure leads to cholesteryl ester (CE) and triglyceride (TG) accumulation in a dose-dependent manner and that hypoxic conditions further increased VLDL-derived intracellular lipid accumulation in HL-1 cells. Knockdown of LRP1 through lentiviral-mediated interfering RNA specifically prevented hypoxia-induced VLDL-CE internalization in HL-1 cells and NRVM. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced LRP1 overexpression specifically increased VLDL-CE accumulation in NRVM. In addition, using double-radiolabelled [(3)H]CE-[(14)C]TG-VLDL, we found that LRP1 deficiency specifically prevented hypoxia-induced VLDL-[(3)H]CE uptake. Finally, in an in vivo porcine model of infarcted myocardium, ischaemic areas exhibited LRP1 protein up-regulation and intramyocardial CE overaccumulation., Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that hypoxia increases LRP1 expression through HIF-1α and that LRP1 overexpression mediates hypoxia-induced VLDL-CE uptake and accumulation in cardiomyocytes.

Irregularities in intracellular calcium on a beat-to-beat basis can precede cardiac arrhythmia, but the mechanisms inducing such irregularities remain elusive. This study tested the hypothesis that sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and L-type calcium channel activity determine the beat-to-beat response and its rate dependency. For this purpose, patch-clamp technique and confocal calcium imaging was used to record L-type calcium current (ICa) and visualize calcium in human atrial myocytes subjected to increasing stimulation frequencies (from 0.2 to 2 Hz). The beat-to-beat response was heterogeneous among a population of 133 myocytes, with 30 myocytes responding uniformly at all frequencies, while alternating and irregular responses were induced in 78 and 25 myocytes, respectively. Myocytes with uniform responses had the lowest frequency of calcium wave-induced transient inward currents (ITI; 0.4 ± 0.2 min⁻¹), ICa density (1.8 ± 0.3 pA pF⁻¹) and caffeine-releasable calcium load (6.2 ± 0.5 amol pF⁻¹), while those with alternating responses had the highest ITI frequency (1.8 ± 0.3 min⁻¹,P =0.003) and ICa density (2.4 ± 0.2 pA pF⁻¹, P =0.04). In contrast, the calcium load was highest in myocytes with irregular responses (8.5 ± 0.7 amol pF⁻¹, P =0.01). Accordingly, partial ICa inhibition reduced the incidence (from 78 to 44%, P <0.05) and increased the threshold frequency for beat-to-beat alternation (from 1.3 ± 0.2 to 1.9 ± 0.2 Hz, P <0.05). Partial inhibition of SR calcium release reduced the ITI frequency, increased calcium loading and favoured induction of irregular responses, while complete inhibition abolished beat-to-beat alternation at all frequencies. In conclusion, the beat-to-beat response was heterogeneous among human atrial myocytes subjected to increasing stimulation frequencies, and the nature and stability of the response were determined by the SR and L-type calcium channel activities, suggesting that these mechanisms are key to controlling cardiac beat-to-beat stability.

It is known that myocardium suffers serious alterations under ischemic conditions such as lipid overloading and electrophysiological alterations. However, it is unknown whether intracellular lipid accumulation and calcium dysfunction share common pathophysiological mechanisms under ischemia. The aims of this study were 1) to analyze the effect of normal and high doses of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) on lipid content and calcium handling; 2) to investigate whether hypoxia modulates the effect of high VLDL doses; and 3) to identify potentially underlying mechanisms in cardiomyocytes. For this purpose, neonatal rat ventricular myocytes cultures were prepared from hearts of 3-4-day-old rats. High doses of VLDL that induced cholesteryl ester (CE) and triglyceride (TG) accumulation strongly reduced sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca ATPase-2 (SERCA-2) expression, calcium transient amplitude and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium loading. Interestingly, hypoxia, by upregulating VLDL-receptor expression (4.5-fold at 16h) increased CE (1.5-fold) and TG (3-fold) cardiomyocyte content and exacerbated the negative effect of VLDL on SERCA-2 expression. Functionally, the hypoxic exacerbation of VLDL-mediated SERCA-2 downregulation was translated into a stronger decrease in calcium transient amplitude and SR calcium loading in myocytes exposed simultaneously to hypoxia and high VLDL. In conclusion, high VLDL doses alter calcium handling in cardiomyocytes and SERCA-2 play a pivotal role in the hypoxic exacerbation of VLDL-mediated effects on cardiac calcium handling. Potentiation of VLDL's effects under hypoxia is explained, at least in part, by hypoxic upregulation of the expression of VLDL-receptor., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) plays a central role in the regulation of cardiac contraction and rhythm in mammals and humans but its role is controversial in teleosts. Since the zebrafish is an emerging model for studies of cardiovascular function and regeneration we here sought to determine if basic features of SR calcium release are phylogenetically conserved. Confocal calcium imaging was used to detect spontaneous calcium release (calcium sparks and waves) from the SR. Calcium sparks were detected in 16 of 38 trout atrial myocytes and 6 of 15 ventricular cells. The spark amplitude was 1.45±0.03 times the baseline fluorescence and the time to half maximal decay of sparks was 27±3 ms. Spark frequency was 0.88 sparks µm(-1) min(-1) while calcium waves were 8.5 times less frequent. Inhibition of SR calcium uptake reduced the calcium transient (F/F(0)) from 1.77±0.17 to 1.12±0.18 (p = 0.002) and abolished calcium sparks and waves. Moreover, elevation of extracellular calcium from 2 to 10 mM promoted early and delayed afterdepolarizations (from 0.6±0.3 min(-1) to 8.1±2.0 min(-1), p = 0.001), demonstrating the ability of SR calcium release to induce afterdepolarizations in the trout heart. Calcium sparks of similar width and duration were also observed in zebrafish ventricular myocytes. In conclusion, this is the first study to consistently report calcium sparks in teleosts and demonstrate that the basic features of calcium release through the ryanodine receptor are conserved, suggesting that teleost cardiac myocytes is a relevant model to study the functional impact of abnormal SR function.

The zebrafish is an important model for the study of vertebrate cardiac development with a rich array of genetic mutations and biological reagents for functional interrogation. The similarity of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) cardiac action potential with that of humans further enhances the relevance of this model. In spite of this, little is known about excitation-contraction coupling in the zebrafish heart. To address this issue, adult zebrafish cardiomyocytes were isolated by enzymatic perfusion of the cannulated ventricle and were subjected to amphotericin-perforated patch-clamp technique, confocal calcium imaging, and/or measurements of cell shortening. Simultaneous recordings of the voltage dependence of the L-type calcium current (I(Ca,L)) amplitude and cell shortening showed a typical bell-shaped current-voltage (I-V) relationship for I(Ca,L) with a maximum at +10 mV, whereas calcium transients and cell shortening showed a monophasic increase with membrane depolarization that reached a plateau at membrane potentials above +20 mV. Values of I(Ca,L) were 53, 100, and 17% of maximum at -20, +10, and +40 mV, while the corresponding calcium transient amplitudes were 64, 92, and 98% and cell shortening values were 62, 95, and 96% of maximum, respectively, suggesting that I(Ca,L) is the major contributor to the activation of contraction at voltages below +10 mV, whereas the contribution of reverse-mode Na/Ca exchange becomes increasingly more important at membrane potentials above +10 mV. Comparison of the recovery of I(Ca,L) from acute and steady-state inactivation showed that reduction of I(Ca,L) upon elevation of the stimulation frequency is primarily due to calcium-dependent I(Ca,L) inactivation. In conclusion, we demonstrate that a large yield of healthy atrial and ventricular myocytes can be obtained by enzymatic perfusion of the cannulated zebrafish heart. Moreover, zebrafish ventricular myocytes differed from that of large mammals by having larger I(Ca,L) density and a monophasically increasing contraction-voltage relationship, suggesting that caution should be taken upon extrapolation of the functional impact of mutations on calcium handling and contraction in zebrafish cardiomyocytes.

Reverse-mode activity of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) has been previously shown to play a prominent role in excitation-contraction coupling in the neonatal rabbit heart, where we have proposed that a restricted subsarcolemmal domain allows a Na(+) current to cause an elevation in the Na(+) concentration sufficiently large to bring Ca(2+) into the myocyte through reverse-mode NCX. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that there is an overlapping expression and distribution of voltage-gated Na(+) (Na(v)) channel isoforms and the NCX in the neonatal heart. For this purpose, Western blot analysis, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, and image analyses were used. Here, we report the robust expression of skeletal Na(v)1.4 and cardiac Na(v)1.5 in neonatal myocytes. Both isoforms colocalized with the NCX, and Na(v)1.5-NCX colocalization was not statistically different from Na(v)1.4-NCX colocalization in the neonatal group. Western blot analysis also showed that Na(v)1.4 expression decreased by sixfold in the adult (P < 0.01) and Na(v)1.1 expression decreased by ninefold (P < 0.01), whereas Na(v)1.5 expression did not change. Although Na(v)1.4 underwent large changes in expression levels, the Na(v)1.4-NCX colocalization relationship did not change with age. In contrast, Na(v)1.5-NCX colocalization decreased ∼50% with development. Distance analysis indicated that the decrease in Na(v)1.5-NCX colocalization occurs due to a statistically significant increase in separation distances between Na(v)1.5 and NCX objects. Taken together, the robust expression of both Na(v)1.4 and Na(v)1.5 isoforms and their colocalization with the NCX in the neonatal heart provides structural support for Na(+) current-induced Ca(2+) entry through reverse-mode NCX. In contrast, this mechanism is likely less efficient in the adult heart because the expression of Na(v)1.4 and NCX is lower and the separation distance between Na(v)1.5 and NCX is larger.

The ability of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs) to transdifferentiate towards cardiomyocytes remains unclear. The aim of this study was to direct UCBMSCs to the cardiac lineage by exposure to: (1) 5-azacytidine (AZ) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); (2) a combination of growth factors involved in early cardiomyogenesis (BMP-2 + bFGF + IGF-1); (3) the Wnt signaling activators lithium chloride (LiCl) and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA); and (4) direct contact with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Expression of cardiomyocyte-specific proteins and beta-catenin were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR, immunofluorescence and Western blot. Cocultures of human UCBMSCs with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were also analyzed for the presence of calcium oscillations and changes in electrical potential using Fura Red and di-4-ANEPPS confocal imaging, respectively. Induction of cardiac-specific proteins was not detected in 5-AZ- or DMSO-treated cells. Following DMSO addition, beta-catenin cytoplasmic expression increased, but did not translocate into cell nuclei to promote cardiac gene activation. Likewise, neither co-stimulation with BMP-2 + bFGF + IGF-1, nor exposure to LiCl and PMA resulted in the acquisition of a cardiac phenotype by UCBMSCs. Direct contact with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes promoted neither the expression of cardiomyocyte-specific proteins, nor the presence of calcium rhythmic oscillations and potential-dependent fluorescence emission in UCBMSCs. The cardiomyogenic stimuli investigated in this study failed to transdifferentiate human UCBMSCs. Alternative strategies or regulatory factors and signaling pathways may be better suited to recruit UCBMSCs into cardiac cell lineage.

We have developed an automatic method for the analysis and identification of dynamical regimes in intracellular calcium patterns from confocal calcium images. The method allows the identification of different dynamical patterns such as spatially concordant and discordant alternans, irregular behavior or phase-locking regimes such as period doubling or halving. The method can be applied to the analysis of different cardiac pathologies related to anomalies at the cellular level such as ventricular reentrant arrhythmias.

It is commonly accepted that L-type Ca(2+) channel-mediated Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) is the dominant mode of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in the adult mammalian heart and that there is no appreciable CICR in neonates. However, we have observed that cell contraction in the neonatal heart was significantly decreased after sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) depletion with caffeine. Therefore, the present study investigated the developmental changes of CICR in rabbit ventricular myocytes at 3, 10, 20, and 56 days of age. We found that the inhibitory effect of the L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca)) inhibitor nifedipine (Nif; 15 microM) caused an increasingly larger reduction of Ca(2+) transients on depolarization in older age groups [from approximately 15% in 3-day-old (3d) myocytes to approximately 90% in 56-day-old (56d) myocytes]. The remaining Ca(2+) transient in the presence of Nif in younger age groups was eliminated by the inhibition of Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) with the subsequent addition of 10 microM KB-R7943 (KB-R). Furthermore, Ca(2+) transients were significantly reduced in magnitude after the depletion of SR Ca(2+) with caffeine in all age groups, although the effect was significantly greater in the older age groups (from approximately 40% in 3d myocytes up to approximately 70% in 56d myocytes). This SR Ca(2+)-sensitive Ca(2+) transient in the earliest developmental stage was insensitive to Nif but was sensitive to the subsequent addition of KB-R, indicating the presence of NCX-mediated CICR that decreased significantly with age (from approximately 37% in 3d myocytes to approximately 0.5% in 56d myocytes). In contrast, the I(Ca)-mediated CICR increased significantly with age (from approximately 10% in 3d myocytes to approximately 70% in 56d myocytes). The CICR gain as estimated by the integral of the CICR Ca(2+) transient divided by the integral of its Ca(2+) transient trigger was smaller when mediated by NCX ( approximately 1.0 for 3d myocytes) than when mediated by I(Ca) ( approximately 3.0 for 56d myocytes). We conclude that the lower-efficiency NCX-mediated CICR is a predominant mode of CICR in the earliest developmental stages that gradually decreases as the more efficient L-type Ca(2+) channel-mediated CICR increases in prominence with ontogeny.

While it has been reported that a sparse sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and a low SR Ca(2+) pump density exist at birth, we and others have recently shown that significant amounts of Ca(2+) are stored in the neonatal rabbit heart SR. Here we try to determine developmental changes in SR Ca(2+) loading mechanisms and Ca(2+) pump efficacy in rabbit ventricular myocytes. SR Ca(2+) loading (load(SR)) and k(0.5) (Ca(2+) concentration at half-maximal SR Ca(2+) uptake) were higher and lower, respectively, in younger age groups. Inhibition of the L-type calcium current (I(Ca)) with 15 microM nifedipine dramatically reduced load(SR) in older but not in younger age groups. In contrast, subsequent inhibition of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) with 10 microM KB-R7943 strongly reduced load(SR) in the younger but not the older age groups. Accordingly, the time integral of the inward NCX current (tail I(NCX)) elicited on repolarization was highly sensitive to nifedipine in the older groups and sensitive to KB-R7943 in the younger groups. Interestingly, slow SR loading took place in the presence of both nifedipine and KB-R7943 in all age groups, although it was less prominent in the older groups. We conclude that the SR loading capacity at the earliest postnatal stages is at least as large as that of adult myocytes. However, reverse-mode NCX plays a prominent role in SR Ca(2+) loading at early postnatal stages while I(Ca) is the main source of SR Ca(2+) loading at late postnatal and adult stages.

Application of the current-clamp technique in rainbow trout atrial myocytes has yielded resting membrane potentials that are incompatible with normal atrial function. To investigate this paradox, we recorded the whole membrane current (I(m)) and compared membrane potentials recorded in isolated cardiac myocytes and multicellular preparations. Atrial tissue and ventricular myocytes had stable resting potentials of -87 +/- 2 mV and -83.9 +/- 0.4 mV, respectively. In contrast, 50 out of 59 atrial myocytes had unstable depolarized membrane potentials that were sensitive to the holding current. We hypothesized that this is at least partly due to a small slope conductance of I(m) around the resting membrane potential in atrial myocytes. In accordance with this hypothesis, the slope conductance of I(m) was about sevenfold smaller in atrial than in ventricular myocytes. Interestingly, ACh increased I(m) at -120 mV from 4.3 pA/pF to 27 pA/pF with an EC(50) of 45 nM in atrial myocytes. Moreover, 3 nM ACh increased the slope conductance of I(m) fourfold, shifted its reversal potential from -78 +/- 3 to -84 +/- 3 mV, and stabilized the resting membrane potential at -92 +/- 4 mV. ACh also shortened the action potential in both atrial myocytes and tissue, and this effect was antagonized by atropine. When applied alone, atropine prolonged the action potential in atrial tissue but had no effect on membrane potential, action potential, or I(m) in isolated atrial myocytes. This suggests that ACh-mediated activation of an inwardly rectifying K(+) current can modulate the membrane potential in the trout atrial myocytes and stabilize the resting membrane potential.

Spontaneous calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in cardiac myocytes plays a central role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis. Compounds intended for therapeutical use that interfere with intracellular calcium handling may therefore have an undesired proarrhythmic potential. Here we have used isolated human atrial myocytes to compare the effect of the proarrhythmic antihistaminic drug terfenadine with the non-proarrhythmic antihistaminic drugs fexofenadine and rupatadine on intracellular calcium homeostasis. Perforated patch-clamp technique was used to measure ionic currents and to detect spontaneous calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Our results show that the compound terfenadine, with known arrhythmogenic effects, inhibits L-type calcium current (I(Ca)) with an IC(50) of 185 nM when cells are stimulated at 1.0 Hz. The inhibitory effect of 0.3 muM terfenadine increased from 19+/-4% at stimulation frequency of 0.2 Hz to 63+/-6% at 2.0 Hz. Moreover, terfenadine also increased spontaneous calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. At a concentration of 1 muM, terfenadine significantly increased the spontaneous Na-Ca exchange current (I(NCX)) frequency from 0.48+/-0.25 to 1.93+/-0.67 s(-1). In contrast, fexofenadine and rupatadine did not change I(Ca) or the frequency of spontaneous I(NCX). We conclude that the proarrhythmic antihistaminic drug terfenadine alters intracellular calcium handling in isolated human atrial myocytes. This experimental model may be suitable to screen for potential arrhythmogenic side-effects of compounds intended for therapeutical use.

Background: Alterations in the cyclic AMP-dependent regulation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) have been proposed to account for increased spontaneous calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in patients with heart failure, ventricular tachyarrhythmias and atrial fibrillation. While the adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R) is known to regulate cyclic AMP levels, expression and function of this receptor in human cardiac myocytes has not been investigated., Methods: PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to identify the A(2A)R, and functional effects of A(2A)R stimulation were measured with confocal calcium imaging and patch-clamp technique., Results: The A(2A)R is expressed in the human right atrium and distributed in a banded pattern along the Z-lines, overlapping with the ryanodine receptor. A(2A)R stimulation caused a protein kinase A dependent increase in spontaneous SR calcium release in isolated human atrial myocytes. The A(2A)R agonist CGS21680 increased the frequency of calcium sparks from 0.12+/-0.03 to 0.31+/-0.08 sparks.mum min(-1) (p<0.05) and calcium waves from 0.65+/-0.31 to 5.11+/-1.84 waves.min(-1) (p<0.03). Moreover, spontaneous Na-Ca exchange currents (I(NCX)) increased from 1.19+/-0.17 to 2.50+/-0.42 min(-1) (p<0.001). In contrast, CGS21680 did not alter caffeine inducible calcium release (6.98+/-0.52 vs. 6.82+/-0.57 amol pF(-1), p=0.6) or the spontaneous I(NCX) amplitude (0.32+/-0.05 vs. 0.29+/-0.04 pA pF(-1), p=0.2). Current-voltage relationship and amplitude of the L-type calcium current (1.62+/-0.18 vs. 1.80+/-0.18 pA pF(-1)) were not altered, but calcium release dependent inactivation was faster with CGS21680 (13.4+/-0.7 vs. 15.8+/-1.0 ms, p<0.001)., Conclusions: Adenosine A(2A) receptors are expressed in the human atrial myocardium and modulate the frequency of spontaneous calcium release from the SR.

L-type Ca(2+) channel-mediated, Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) is the dominant mode of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in the mature mammalian myocardium but is thought to be absent in the fetal and newborn mammalian myocardium. Furthermore, the characteristics and contributors of E-C coupling at the earliest developmental stages are poorly understood. In this study, we measured [(3)H](+)PN200-110 dihydropyridine binding capacity, functionality and expression of the L-type Ca(2+) channel, and cytosolic [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](i)) at various developmental stages (3, 6, 10, 20, and 56 days old) to characterize ontogenetic changes in E-C coupling. We found that 1) the whole cell L-type Ca(2+) channel peak current (I(Ca)) density increased slightly in parallel with cell growth, but the current-voltage relationship, the steady-state activation, and the maximum DHP binding and binding affinity did not exhibit significant developmental changes; 2) sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) dependence of inactivation rates of L-type Ca(2+) channel and peak of I(Ca) density were only observed after 10 days of age, which temporally coincides with transverse (T)-tubule formation; 3) the relationship between [Ca(2+)](i) and voltage changed from a linear relationship at the earliest developmental stages to a "bell-shaped" relationship at the later developmental stages, presumably corresponding to a switch from reverse-mode Na/Ca exchange-dependent to I(Ca)-dependent E-C coupling; and 4) the expression of two different splice variants of Ca(V)1.2, IVS3A and IVS3B, switched from predominantly IVS3A at the earliest stages to IVS3B at the later developmental stages. Our data suggest that whereas the density of functional dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) increases only slightly during ontogeny, the enhancement of functional coupling between DHPR and ryanodine receptor is dramatic between the second and third weeks after birth. Furthermore, we found that the differential expression of splice variants during development temporally correlated with the appearance of I(Ca)-dependent E-C coupling and T-tubule formation.

Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), which is Ca2+ entry triggered by the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, has been observed in many cell types, but only recently has it been suggested to occur in cardiomyocytes. In the present study, we have demonstrated SOCE-dependent sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ loading (load(SR)) that was not altered by inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels, reverse mode Na+/Ca2+ exchange (NCX), or nonselective cation channels. In contrast, lowering the extracellular [Ca2+] to 0 mM or adding either 0.5 mM Zn2+ or the putative store-operated channel (SOC) inhibitor SKF-96365 (100 microM) inhibited load(SR) at rest. Interestingly, inhibition of forward mode NCX with 30 microM KB-R7943 stimulated SOCE significantly and resulted in enhanced load(SR). In addition, manipulation of the extracellular and intracellular Na+ concentrations further demonstrated the modulatory role of NCX in SOCE-mediated SR Ca2+ loading. Although there is little knowledge of SOCE in cardiomyocytes, the present results suggest that this mechanism, together with NCX, may play an important role in SR Ca2+ homeostasis. The data reported herein also imply the presence of microdomains unique to the neonatal cardiomyocyte. These findings may be of particular importance during open heart surgery in neonates, in which uncontrolled SOCE could lead to SR Ca2+ overload and arrhythmogenesis.

Much less is known about the contributions of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) pump to cell relaxation in neonatal compared with adult mammalian ventricular myocytes. Based on both biochemical and molecular studies, there is evidence of a much higher density of NCX at birth that subsequently decreases during the next 2 wk of development. It has been hypothesized, therefore, that NCX plays a relatively more important role for cytosolic Ca(2+) decline in neonates as well as, perhaps, a role in excitation-contraction coupling in reverse mode. We isolated neonatal ventricular myocytes from rabbits in four different age groups: 3, 6, 10, and 20 days of age. Using an amphotericin-perforated patch-clamp technique in fluo-3-loaded myocytes, we measured the caffeine-induced inward NCX current (I(NCX)) and the Ca(2+) transient. We found that the integral of I(NCX), an indicator of SR Ca(2+) content, was greatest in myocytes from younger age groups when normalized by cell surface area and that it decreased with age. The velocity of Ca(2+) extrusion by NCX (V(NCX)) was linear with [Ca(2+)] and did not indicate saturation kinetics until [Ca(2+)] reached 1-3 microM for each age group. There was a significantly greater time delay between the peaks of I(NCX) and the Ca(2+) transient in myocytes from the youngest age groups. This observation could be related to structural differences in the subsarcolemmal microdomains as a function of age.

Background: Spontaneous Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) can generate afterdepolarizations, and these have the potential to initiate arrhythmias. Therefore, an association may exist between spontaneous SR Ca2+ release and initiation of atrial fibrillation (AF), but this has not yet been reported., Methods and Results: Spontaneous Ca2+ release from the SR, manifested as Ca2+ sparks and Ca2+ waves, was recorded with confocal microscopy in atrial myocytes isolated from patients with and those without AF. In addition, the spontaneous inward current associated with Ca2+ waves was measured with the use of the perforated patch-clamp technique. The Ca2+ spark frequency was higher in 8 patients with AF than in 16 patients without (6.0+/-1.2 versus 2.8+/-0.8 sparks/mm per second, P<0.05). Similarly, the spontaneous Ca2+ wave frequency was greater in patients with AF (2.8+/-0.5 versus 1.1+/-0.3 waves/mm per second, P<0.01). The spontaneous inward current frequency was also higher in 10 patients with AF than in 13 patients without this arrhythmia (0.101+/-0.028 versus 0.031+/-0.007 per second, P<0.05, at a clamped potential of -80 mV). In contrast, both the Ca2+ released from the SR and the Na+-Ca2+ exchange rate induced by a rapid caffeine application were comparable in patients with and without AF., Conclusions: The observed increase in spontaneous Ca2+ release in patients with AF probably is due to an upregulation of the SR Ca2+ release channel activity, which may contribute to the development of AF.

Long depolarizations cause a steady tonic contraction and induce sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-uptake in trout atrial myocytes. Simultaneous measurements of cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) and whole membrane current showed an elevated [Ca2+]i throughout the depolarization. Rapid caffeine (Caf) applications at -80 mV before and after a long depolarization were used to determine SR Ca2+ loading and its dependency on membrane potential and [Ca2+]i during depolarization. Following a 10 s depolarization, the maximal SR Ca2+ load was 597 micromol l(-1) and loading was half-maximal at -12 mV. The beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (ISO) did not affect the maximal SR Ca2+ loading but shifted the potential for half-maximal loading by -26 mV. Following a 3 s depolarization, the maximal SR Ca2+ uptake rate (Vmax) was 418 micromol l(-1) s(-1) in control conditions. ISO did not affect Vmax, but significantly lowered the average free Ca2+ transient during the depolarization and shifted the K(0.5) for the relationship between SR Ca2+ uptake and [Ca2+]i from 1.27 in control to 0.8 micromol l(-1) with ISO. Following repetitive 200 ms depolarizations, ISO increased the L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) amplitude by 91+/-29% and the peak Ca2+ transient by 41+/-10%, and decreased the half life of the Ca2+ transient from 151+/-12 to 111+/-6 ms. Using the relationship between [Ca2+]i and SR Ca2+ uptake to calculate the total SR Ca2+ uptake during a Ca2+ transient elicited by a 200 ms depolarization, a significant increase in the SR Ca2+ uptake from 37+/-6 micromol l(-1) in control to 68+/-4 micromol l(-1) with ISO was seen. When normalized to the total Ca2+ transport the contribution of the SR was not significantly different in the absence (35+/-6%) or presence of ISO (41+/-4%). Exposure of cells to ISO and low extracellular [Ca2+] increased ICa by 67+/-40% (N=5) but significantly reduced SR Ca2+ uptake at membrane potentials above -30 mV. Together, these results suggest that (i) ISO has a stimulatory effect on the SR Ca2+ pump that may contribute to the faster decay of the Ca2+ transient, and (ii) the relative contribution of the SR to the Ca2+ removal during relaxation is not altered by ISO in trout atrial myocytes.