Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm01:19

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

The normal cardiac rhythm is a synchronized electrical activity that facilitates the regular and coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. This process is essential for efficient blood circulation throughout the body. The fundamental elements involved in establishing and maintaining this rhythm include the unique electrical properties of cardiac muscle cells, the sinoatrial (SA) node's pacemaker function, the specialized conducting system, and the ionic mechanisms underlying each phase of...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
Channel Rhodopsins01:11

Channel Rhodopsins

Most organisms use photoreceptors to sense and respond to light. Examples of photoreceptors include bacteriorhodopsins and bacteriophytochromes in some bacteria, phytochromes in plants, and rhodopsins in the photoreceptor cells of the vertebral retina. The light-sensitive property of these receptors is because of the bound chromophores, such as bilin in the phytochromes and retinal in the rhodopsins.
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...
Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias01:28

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias are irregular heart rhythms occurring when the heart's electrical impulses become abnormal. These disturbances can lead to various symptoms, depending on their severity and the underlying cause. Some common factors contributing to arrhythmias include hypoxia, ischemia, electrolyte imbalances, excessive catecholamine exposure, drug toxicity, and muscle overstretching. Arrhythmias can be classified into two main types based on the rate and site of origin of abnormal heart rhythms.
Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers01:18

Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers

Calcium ions are essential to contract smooth muscle cells in blood vessels. They enter these cells through voltage-dependent calcium channels, specifically L-type calcium channels in the cell membrane. These L-type calcium channels are integral to the excitation-contraction coupling process in smooth muscle. When a stimulus is received by smooth muscle cells, their membrane depolarizes. This alteration in membrane potential instigates the opening of L-type calcium channels. As a result,...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cholesterol, PtdIns(4,5)P<sub>2</sub>, and Actin Regulate BK Channel Nanoscale Organization.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Beat-locked ATP microdomains in the sinoatrial node map a Ca2+-timed energetic hierarchy and regional pacemaker roles.

The Journal of general physiology·2026
Same author

Demonstration of beat-to-beat, on-demand ATP synthesis in ventricular myocytes reveals sex-specific mitochondrial and cytosolic dynamics.

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same author

Intracellular Mechanosensation in Intestinal Smooth Muscle: Piezo1 Complexes Amplify Signaling Beyond the Surface.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Functionally coupled ion channels begin co-assembling at the start of their synthesis.

eLife·2026
Same author

L-Type Ca<sub>v</sub>1.3 and HCN Channels Mediate Heart Rate Acceleration by Catecholamines.

Circulation research·2025
Same journal

Impaired Endothelial Cell Cholesterol Metabolism Promotes Vascular Inflammation in Sleep Apnea.

Circulation research·2026
Same journal

Engineered Heart Tissues Facilitate Noncoding Variant Studies in Cardiomyopathy.

Circulation research·2026
Same journal

NUAK1 Inhibition Alleviates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via SYNE1-YAP1.

Circulation research·2026
Same journal

Glycine Receptor α2 Mediates Vasodilation via Endothelial eNOS Signaling.

Circulation research·2026
Same journal

Antiplatelet Strategies and the Unfinished Story of Thrombosis Prophylaxis.

Circulation research·2026
Same journal

The Ugly Side of NO: Erythrocyte-Derived NO and Atherosclerosis.

Circulation research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Electromechanical Assessment of Optogenetically Modulated Cardiomyocyte Activity
12:52

Electromechanical Assessment of Optogenetically Modulated Cardiomyocyte Activity

Published on: March 5, 2020

Aging Disrupts L-type Ca2+ Channel Organization and Function in Pacemaker Cells.

Oscar Vivas1,2, Matthias Baudot2, Roxanne Madden2

  • 1Department of Pharmacology (O.V., R.P.), University of Washington, Seattle.

Circulation Research
|June 19, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Aging slows heart rate by reducing L-type calcium channel function in pacemaker cells. This age-related decline in channel organization and density, linked to reduced caveolae, impairs heart rhythm and can be reversed by enhancing channel activity.

Keywords:
animalsheart ratemammalsmicroscopyprobability

More Related Videos

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
09:36

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Published on: December 22, 2023

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection
08:52

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection

Published on: February 17, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Electromechanical Assessment of Optogenetically Modulated Cardiomyocyte Activity
12:52

Electromechanical Assessment of Optogenetically Modulated Cardiomyocyte Activity

Published on: March 5, 2020

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
09:36

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Published on: December 22, 2023

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection
08:52

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection

Published on: February 17, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Cellular Electrophysiology
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • The heart's pacemaker initiates electrical signals for each heartbeat, relying on ion channel coordination.
  • Voltage-gated L-type calcium channels are crucial for this electrical signaling.
  • Age-related decline in pacemaker rate is common but not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how aging affects L-type calcium channel density, organization, and function in mouse sinoatrial node pacemaker cells.
  • To identify the mechanisms underlying age-associated changes in cardiac pacemaker function.

Main Methods:

  • Patch-clamp electrophysiology and single-channel recording.
  • Calcium imaging and immunocytochemistry.
  • Super-resolution microscopy on cells from young and old mice.

Main Results:

  • Aging decreased L-type calcium channel density and disrupted channel clustering, reducing calcium current by 50%.
  • Enhancing channel activity with Bay K 8644 restored pacemaker rate in aged cells.
  • Reduced caveolin-3 expression and disrupted caveolae in aged cells mirrored functional deficits.

Conclusions:

  • Aging impairs cardiac L-type calcium channel organization and function via reduced caveolae.
  • This age-associated decline in channel density and activity drives the slowdown of the cardiac pacemaker.
  • Caveolae are essential for maintaining proper channel organization and function during aging.