Name: high-resolution optical mapping of the mouse sino-atrial node
Uploaded: 2016-12-02T11:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about High-resolution Optical Mapping of the Mouse Sino-atrial Node at JoVE.com

We are supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School start-up (A.V.G.).

All experiments were conducted in accordance with the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Pub. No. 80-23). All methods and protocols used in these studies have been approved by The University of Wisconsin Animal Care and Use Protocol Committee following the Guidelines for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals published by NIH (publication No. 85-23, revised 1996). All animals used in this study received humane care in compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
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V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Calsequestrin+2+deletion+causes+sinoatrial+node+dysfunction+and+atrial+arrhythmias+associated+with+altered+sarcoplasmic+reticulum+calcium+cycling+and+degenerative+fibrosis+within+the+mouse+atrial+pacemaker+complex.">Calsequestrin 2 deletion causes sinoatrial node dysfunction and atrial arrhythmias associated with altered sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium cycling and degenerative fibrosis within the mouse atrial pacemaker complex.</a> Eur Heart J. 36 (11), 686-697 (2015).</li><li>John, R. M., Kumar, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sinus+Node+and+Atrial+Arrhythmias.">Sinus Node and Atrial Arrhythmias.</a> Circulation. 133 (19), 1892-1900 (2016).</li><li>Swaminathan, P. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Oxidized+CaMKII+causes+cardiac+sinus+node+dysfunction+in+mice.">Oxidized CaMKII causes cardiac sinus node dysfunction in mice.</a> J Clin Invest. 121 (8), 3277-3288 (2011).</li><li>Glukhov, A. V., Fedorov, V. V., Anderson, M. E., Mohler, P. J., Efimov, I. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+anatomy+of+the+murine+sinus+node:+high-resolution+optical+mapping+of+ankyrin-B+heterozygous+mice.">Functional anatomy of the murine sinus node: high-resolution optical mapping of ankyrin-B heterozygous mice.</a> Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 299 (2), H482-H491 (2010).</li><li>Egom, E. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Impaired+sinoatrial+node+function+and+increased+susceptibility+to+atrial+fibrillation+in+mice+lacking+natriuretic+peptide+receptor+C.">Impaired sinoatrial node function and increased susceptibility to atrial fibrillation in mice lacking natriuretic peptide receptor C.</a> J Physiol. 593 (5), 1127-1146 (2015).</li><li>Torrente, A. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Burst+pacemaker+activity+of+the+sinoatrial+node+in+sodium-calcium+exchanger+knockout+mice.">Burst pacemaker activity of the sinoatrial node in sodium-calcium exchanger knockout mice.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112 (31), 9769-9774 (2015).</li><li>Lang, D., Sulkin, M., Lou, Q., Efimov, I. 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M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Properties+of+blebbistatin+for+cardiac+optical+mapping+and+other+imaging+applications.">Properties of blebbistatin for cardiac optical mapping and other imaging applications.</a> Pflugers Arch. 464 (5), 503-512 (2012).</li><li>Laughner, J. I., Ng, F. S., Sulkin, M. S., Arthur, R. M., Efimov, I. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Processing+and+analysis+of+cardiac+optical+mapping+data+obtained+with+potentiometric+dyes.">Processing and analysis of cardiac optical mapping data obtained with potentiometric dyes.</a> Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 303 (7), H753-H765 (2012).</li><li>Liu, J., Dobrzynski, H., Yanni, J., Boyett, M. 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S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Altered+parasympathetic+nervous+system+regulation+of+the+sinoatrial+node+in+Akita+diabetic+mice.">Altered parasympathetic nervous system regulation of the sinoatrial node in Akita diabetic mice.</a> J Mol Cell Cardiol. 82, 125-135 (2015).</li><li>Nygren, A., Lomax, A. E., Giles, W. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Heterogeneity+of+action+potential+durations+in+isolated+mouse+left+and+right+atria+recorded+using+voltage-sensitive+dye+mapping.">Heterogeneity of action potential durations in isolated mouse left and right atria recorded using voltage-sensitive dye mapping.</a> Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 287 (6), H2634-H2643 (2004).</li><li>Efimov, I. R., Fedorov, V. V., Joung, B., Lin, S. 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J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Atrial+fibrillation+driven+by+micro-anatomic+intramural+re-entry+revealed+by+simultaneous+sub-epicardial+and+sub-endocardial+optical+mapping+in+explanted+human+hearts.">Atrial fibrillation driven by micro-anatomic intramural re-entry revealed by simultaneous sub-epicardial and sub-endocardial optical mapping in explanted human hearts.</a> Eur Heart J. 36 (35), 2390-2401 (2015).</li><li>Lang, D., Petrov, V., Lou, Q., Osipov, G., Efimov, I. 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Here, we presented two types of mouse SAN preparations: 1) intact SAN in the Langendorff-perfused whole heart, and 2) SAN in the isolated, opened atrial preparation. These two types of preparation serve different experimental purposes. In the Langendorff-perfused whole heart preparation, the intact atrial structure is preserved which makes it possible to study complex atrial arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation as well as interactions between the SAN and atrium during reentrant tachyarrhythmias.6 In contras...

Novel scientific breakthroughs that lead to leaps in the understanding of human physiology are often preceded by technological advances. Fluorescent optical mapping, for example, enables investigation of multiple physiological parameters in both cells and tissues.1,2 It significantly improved our understanding of how the anatomical structure is associated with electrophysiological functions and dysfunctions. In the heart, the natural pacemaker and conduction systems such as the sinoatrial node (SAN) and the atrioventricular junction consist of nodal myocytes that are insulated by the surrounding atrial myocytes.3-5 Such organization creates complex three-dimensional structures with specialized electrical properties. Both structural and functional remodeling of these pacemaker structures has been recognized to form significant electrophysiological heterogeneities.6,7 Understanding the mechanism underlying how such heterogeneities result in SAN dysfunctions and atrial arrhythmogenesis will dramatically benefit the clinical treatment of these diseases. It requires a technique to visualize the propagation of electrical signals at the tissue level, such as optical mapping. 
Recently, accumulating evidence has proven the advance of optical mapping in studies of atrial electrophysiology and pathology.2 However, novel and rigorous studies are dependent on the accurate interpretation of experimental data, whose validity and stability rely on careful experiment protocols. Genetically modified mice are extensively used for research as animal models of human diseases including sick sinus syndrome, pacemaker abnormalities and atrial arrhythmias.6,8-11 Thus, a combination of fluorescent optical mapping with transgenic mouse models provides a powerful tool to study cardiac electrical abnormalities associated with various pathologies. In this paper, we present a protocol for high-resolution optical mapping of the mouse SAN and atrium. Specifically, we discuss and compare different dye loading approaches, time effects on dye bleaching and heart rate stability during the experiment.

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high-resolution optical mapping of the mouse sino-atrial node

Sino-atrial node (SAN) dysfunctions and associated complications constitute important causes of morbidity in patients with cardiac diseases. The development of novel pharmacological therapies to cure these patients relies on the thorough understanding of both normal physiology and pathophysiology of the SAN. Among the studies of cardiac pacemaking, the mouse SAN is widely used due to its feasibility for modifications in the expression of different genes that encode SAN ion channels or calcium handling proteins. Emerging evidence from electrophysiological and histological studies has also proved the representativeness and similarity of the mouse SAN structure and functions to larger mammals, including the presence of specialized conduction pathways from the SAN to the atrium and a complex pacemakers' hierarchy within the SAN. Recently, the technique of optical mapping has greatly facilitated the exploration and investigation of the origin of excitation and conduction within and from the mouse SAN, which in turn has extended the understanding of the SAN and benefited clinical treatments of SAN dysfunction associated diseases. In this manuscript, we have described in detail how to perform the optical mapping of the mouse SAN from the intact, Langendorff-perfused heart and from the isolated atrial preparation. This protocol is a useful tool to enhance the understanding of mouse SAN physiology and pathophysiology.

Optical Mapping of the Intact SAN from the Langendorff-perfused Heart 
A typical example of an RA activation contour map reconstructed for spontaneous sinus rhythm is shown in Figure 3 for a Langendorff-perfused mouse heart. The early activation point is located within the intercaval region near the SVC where the SAN is anatomically defined.3,16 Two RA activation contour maps acquired at 1.0 and 0.5 msec sampling rate are shown in ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about High-resolution Optical Mapping of the Mouse Sino-atrial Node at JoVE.com

High-resolution Optical Mapping of the Mouse Sino-atrial Node

Here, we present a protocol for optical mapping of electrical activity from the mouse right atrium and especially the sino-atrial node, at a high spatial and temporal resolution.

Sino-atrial node (SAN) dysfunctions and associated complications constitute important causes of morbidity in patients with cardiac diseases. The ...

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