Quantifying Propagation Velocity from Engineered Cardiac Tissues with High-Speed Fluorescence Microscopy and...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Biomedical Engineering
• Arrhythmia Research

Background:

• Arrhythmias can result from inherited/acquired heart diseases or drug interactions.
• Predicting arrhythmogenic events requires efficient quantification of propagation velocity in engineered cardiac tissues.
• Current methods are crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a method for collecting and analyzing videos of calcium wave propagation in engineered cardiac tissues.
• To provide instructions for using a software package to calculate propagation velocity.
• To enable patient-specific analysis of cardiac tissue properties influencing arrhythmias.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing high-speed cameras on inverted fluorescence microscopes to record calcium waves.
• Employing a software package for video analysis and propagation velocity calculation.
• Adapting techniques for various voltage/calcium-sensitive fluorescent dyes and sensors.

Main Results:

• Established a protocol for video collection of calcium transients in engineered cardiac tissues.
• Developed and provided software for accurate propagation velocity measurement.
• Demonstrated compatibility with diverse fluorescent indicators and potential for human iPSC-cardiomyocyte application.

Conclusions:

• The described video analysis techniques offer a valuable tool for studying cardiac tissue electrophysiology.
• These methods facilitate the prediction of arrhythmias and the discovery of novel therapeutic interventions.
• The approach is adaptable for patient-specific analyses, including those derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cell-cardiomyocytes.