Force and Calcium Transients Analysis in Human Engineered Heart Tissues Reveals Positive Force-Frequency Relation at Physiological Frequency

Overview

Journal Stem Cell Reports

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Cell Biology

Date 2020 Jan 21

PMID 31956082

Citations 30

Authors

Umber Saleem

Ingra Mannhardt

Ingke Braren

Chris Denning

Thomas Eschenhagen

Arne Hansen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Force measurements in ex vivo and engineered heart tissues are well established. Analysis of calcium transients (CaT) is complementary to force, and the combined analysis is meaningful to the study of cardiomyocyte biology and disease. This article describes a model of human induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocyte-derived engineered heart tissues (hiPSC-CM EHTs) transduced with the calcium sensor GCaMP6f followed by sequential analysis of force and CaT. Average peak analysis demonstrated the temporal sequence of the CaT preceding the contraction twitch. The pharmacological relevance of the test system was demonstrated with inotropic indicator compounds. Force-frequency relationship was analyzed in the presence of ivabradine (300 nM), which reduced spontaneous frequency and unmasked a positive correlation of force and CaT at physiological human heart beating frequency with stimulation frequency between 0.75 and 2.5 Hz (force +96%; CaT +102%). This work demonstrates the usefulness of combined force/CaT analysis and demonstrates a positive force-frequency relationship in hiPSC-CM EHTs.

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