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Stop the beat to see the rhythm: excitation-contraction uncoupling in cardiac research
- Source :
- Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- American Physiological Society, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Optical mapping is an imaging technique that is extensively used in cardiovascular research, wherein parameter-sensitive fluorescent indicators are used to study the electrophysiology and excitation-contraction coupling of cardiac tissues. Despite many benefits of optical mapping, eliminating motion artifacts within the optical signals is a major challenge, as myocardial contraction interferes with the faithful acquisition of action potentials and intracellular calcium transients. As such, excitation-contraction uncoupling agents are frequently used to reduce signal distortion by suppressing contraction. When compared with other uncoupling agents, blebbistatin is the most frequently used, as it offers increased potency with minimal direct effects on cardiac electrophysiology. Nevertheless, blebbistatin may exert secondary effects on electrical activity, metabolism, and coronary flow, and the incorrect administration of blebbistatin to cardiac tissue can prove detrimental, resulting in erroneous interpretation of optical mapping results. In this “Getting It Right” perspective, we briefly review the literature regarding the use of blebbistatin in cardiac optical mapping experiments, highlight potential secondary effects of blebbistatin on cardiac electrical activity and metabolic demand, and conclude with the consensus of the authors on best practices for effectively using blebbistatin in optical mapping studies of cardiac tissue.
- Subjects :
- Biomedical Research
Time Factors
Physiology
Cardiovascular research
Action Potentials
Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings
Excitation contraction
Rhythm
Heart Rate
Physiology (medical)
Optical mapping
Animals
Humans
Medicine
Myocytes, Cardiac
Cells, Cultured
Excitation Contraction Coupling
business.industry
Myocardial Contraction
Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging
Cardiovascular physiology
Electrophysiology
Imaging technique
Artifacts
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
business
Beat (music)
Neuroscience
Perspectives
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15221539 and 03636135
- Volume :
- 321
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....13062b49ffad64ebf17d005c7704de45