Measurement of electrophoretic mobility of cardiomyocytes

The electrophoretic mobility (EPM) of rat cardiomyocytes with or without the treatment of neuraminidase was studied by cell electrophoresis. The EPM was found to change over a range from 0 to 8.67 microm s(-1)/V cm(-1), depending on ionic strength, transmembrane potential, pH value, and/or surface charges. It is interesting that zero EPM was observed but reverse of the mobility was not. These results suggested that the negative charges carried on the cardiomyocyte surface might comprehensively consist of surface sialic acid, plasmalemma proteins, phospholipids, and transmembrane potential. The aberrant electrical double layer formed between the carried negative charges and adions had a big adsorption layer and a diffusion layer whose sizes changed circularly, making only negative charges be carried on the surface of living cardiomyocytes. The special structures on the surface of cardiomyocytes probably play a considerable role in the process of cardiac electrical activity.