Novel approaches to determine contractile function of the isolated adult zebrafish ventricular cardiac myocyte Journal Article

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Authors: Dvornikov, A. V.; Dewan, S.; Alekhina, O. V.; Pickett, F. B.; de Tombe, P. P.
Article Title: Novel approaches to determine contractile function of the isolated adult zebrafish ventricular cardiac myocyte
Abstract: Objectives: The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been used extensively in cardiovascular biology, but mainly for study of heart development. The relative ease of genetic manipulation could be the basis for this species to become a promising and cost-effective model system for the study of cardiac contractile biology. However, whether the zebrafish heart is an appropriate model system for questions pertaining to mammalian cardiac contractile structure-function relationships remains to be answered. Methods and Results: Myocytes were isolated from adult zebrafish hearts by enzymatic digestion, attached to carbon rods and twitch force and intracellular Ca2+ were measured. We observed modulation of twitch force, but not intracellular Ca2+, by both extracellular [Ca2+] and sarcomere length. In permeabilized cells/myofibrils, we found robust myofilament length dependent activation. Moreover, modulation of myofilament activation-relaxation and force redevelopment kinetics by varied Ca2+ activation levels resembled that found previously for mammalian myofilaments. Conclusions: We conclude that the zebrafish is a valid model system for the study of cardiac contractile structure-function relationships.
Journal Title: The Journal of physiology
Volume: 592
Issue: pt 9
ISSN: 1469-7793; 0022-3751
Publisher: Unknown  
Date Published: 2014
Start Page: 1949
End Page: 1956
Language: ENG
DOI/URL:

10.1113/jphysiol.2014.270678
Notes: LR: 20150501; GR: HL62426/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States; GR: HL75494/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States; JID: 0266262; SY7Q814VUP (Calcium); CIN: J Physiol. 2014 Nov 1;592(Pt 21):4609-10. PMID: 25194043; OID: NLM: PMC4230771; 2014/03/03 [aheadofprint]; 2014/04/07 [aheadofprint]; ppublish