%0 Journal Article
%T Synchronous force and Ca2+ measurements for repeated characterization of excitation-contraction coupling in human myocardium.
%A Sun Z
%A Lu K
%A Kamla C
%A Kameritsch P
%A Seidel T
%A Dendorfer A
%J Commun Biol
%V 7
%N 1
%D 2024 Feb 22
%M 38388802
%F 6.548
%R 10.1038/s42003-024-05886-3
%X Dysfunctional Ca2+ signaling affects the myocardial systole and diastole, may trigger arrhythmia and cause transcriptomic and proteomic modifications in heart failure. Thus, synchronous real-time measurement of Ca2+ and force is essential to investigate the relationship between contractility and Ca2+ signaling and the alteration of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) in human failing myocardium. Here, we present a method for synchronized acquisition of intracellular Ca2+ and contraction force in long-term cultivated slices of human failing myocardium. Synchronous time series of contraction force and intracellular Ca2+ were used to calculate force-calcium loops and to analyze the dynamic alterations of ECC in response to various pacing frequencies, post-pause potentiation, high mechanical preload and pharmacological interventions in human failing myocardium. We provide an approach to simultaneously and repeatedly investigate alterations of contractility and Ca2+ signals in long-term cultured myocardium, which will allow detecting the effects of electrophysiological or pharmacological interventions on human myocardial ECC.