Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction CouplingZai Hao Zhao 1, Chun Li Jin 1, Ji Hyun Jang 1, Yu Na Wu 1, Sung Joon Kim 1, Hong Hua Jin 2, Lan Cui 2, Yin Hua Zhang 1,2,3
1Department of Physiology & Biomedical Sciences, Ischemic/hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 2Yan Bian University Hospital, 3Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester
This paper describes a protocol that assesses the changes of myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity during contraction in isolated cardiac myocytes from rat heart. Together with cardiac electrophysiology, systolic/diastolic cytosol Ca2+ levels and contraction/relaxation, this measurement is imperative in underpinning the mechanisms mediating cardiac excitation-contraction coupling in healthy and diseased hearts.