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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Ex Vivo Imaging of Cell-specific Calcium Signaling at the Tripartite Synapse of the Mouse Diaphragm
Published on: October 4, 2018
Digital imaging system for recording rapid changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations triggered by electrical
1Department of Pediatric Pharmacology, National Children's Hospital Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
To examine the origin and spreading of the Ca2+ transient following electrical stimulation of isolated myocyte, a system capable of recording intracellular Ca2+ distribution with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution was constructed. The system consists of a fluorescence microscope with computer-controlled pulse illumination and a digital image analyzer. The results with this new equipment show that the Ca2+ transient originates from one or a few points within a myocyte, and spreads throughout the cell. During the initial 60-msec period, the distribution of Ca2+ within a myocyte was not uniform. The system may be used for better understanding of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism occurring within a cardiac myocyte or of changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in other cells in which Ca2+ plays a crucial role in signal transduction.
