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Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac action potentials are essential for proper heart function, enabling the rhythmic contractions needed for adequate blood circulation. Nodal cells and Purkinje fibers, specialized for electrical conduction, generate these action potentials.
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials

Action Potential

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...

Action Potential

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...

Action Potentials

Action Potentials

Propagation of Action Potentials

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Networks on Multiwell Micro-electrode Arrays for Recurrent Action Potential Recordings

Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Networks on Multiwell Micro-electrode Arrays for Recurrent Action Potential Recordings

Published on: July 15, 2019

Novel method for action potential measurements from intact cardiac monolayers with multiwell microelectrode array

Heather B Hayes¹, Anthony M Nicolini¹, Colin A Arrowood¹

¹Axion Biosystems, Inc, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Scientific Reports

|August 17, 2019

Summary

A new method called local extracellular action potential (LEAP) enables high-throughput, label-free measurement of cardiac action potentials from cardiomyocyte syncytium, improving drug testing and cardiac biology research.

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Last Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Networks on Multiwell Micro-electrode Arrays for Recurrent Action Potential Recordings

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Laser-Induced Action Potential-Like Measurements of Cardiomyocytes on Microelectrode Arrays for Increased Predictivity of Safety Pharmacology

Laser-Induced Action Potential-Like Measurements of Cardiomyocytes on Microelectrode Arrays for Increased Predictivity of Safety Pharmacology

Published on: September 13, 2022

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Biomedical Engineering
Drug Discovery

Background:

Cardiac action potential (AP) is crucial for cardiac health, disease, and drug safety.
Existing high-throughput AP measurement techniques are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

Introduce a novel, high-throughput method for measuring cardiac APs.
Enhance the accuracy and automation of cardiac drug testing and stem cell model research.

Main Methods:

Developed a technique to improve cardiomyocyte syncytium coupling to microelectrode arrays.
Introduced local extracellular action potential (LEAP) for stable, label-free AP measurement.
Quantified AP morphology using rise time, AP duration, beat period, and triangulation.

Main Results:

Achieved reliable and stable LEAP measurements from intact cardiomyocyte syncytium.
Demonstrated LEAP's efficacy in quantifying AP morphology in human iPSC-derived and rodent cardiomyocytes.
Successfully quantified compound responses and genetic modification-induced AP changes.

Conclusions:

LEAP is the first high-throughput, non-invasive, label-free method for capturing AP morphology from cardiomyocyte syncytium.
LEAP can accelerate cardiac stem cell research and improve automated drug testing accuracy.