Electrophysiology of adult cat cardiac ventricular myocytes: changes during primary culture

To investigate the nature of electrophysiological changes in adult cat cardiac ventricular myocytes that may occur when cells are maintained in primary culture for 1-2 wk, the electrophysiology of cells freshly isolated from collagenase-perfused hearts (day 0 controls) was compared with that of cells maintained in primary culture for up to 14 days 1) on a two-dimensional (2D) surface (laminin-coated coverslips), which allowed for changes in cellular morphology, or 2) in a three-dimensional (3D) alginate matrix, which minimized changes in cell shape. Action potentials and whole cell ionic currents were recorded using a conventional whole cell patch technique. Whereas cellular resting potential and the depth of the "notch" terminating phase 1 were diminished relative to controls in 2D- and 3D-cultured cells, the action potential duration and the incidence of early afterdepolarizations (EADs) were increased relative to controls in 2D- but not in 3D-cultured cells. Corresponding alterations in whole cell ionic currents included a 40% reduction in inwardly rectifying K current (IK1) conductance (GK1) and a 90% reduction in transient outward K current (Ito) conductance (Gto) in 2D- and 3D-cultured cells relative to day 0 controls and a 50% increase in L-type Ca current (ICa-L) conductance (GCa-L) in 2D-cultured cells relative to 3D-cultured cells and day 0 controls. The reduction in Gto in long-term culture was half-maximal by days 7 and 8 and could not be attributed to reduced Ito availability, involvement of a noninactivating Ito, the cell culture procedure itself, or the presence of serum in the culture media. Gto was larger in day 0 cells from a heart with right ventricular hypertrophy than in day 0 normal control cells and was reduced subsequent to placement of cells in 3D culture for 19 days. The results suggest that long-term culture and change in cellular morphology can affect the electrophysiology of cardiac ventricular myocytes.