Complex and rate-dependent beat-to-beat variations in Ca2+ transients of canine Purkinje cells.

ABSTRACT: Purkinje fibers play an essential role in transmitting electrical impulses through the heart, but they may also serve as triggers for arrhythmias linked to defective intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) regulation. Although prior studies have extensively characterized spontaneous Ca(2+) release in nondriven Purkinje cells, little attention has been paid to rate-dependent changes in Ca(2+) transients. Therefore we explored the behaviors of Ca(2+) transients at pacing rates ranging from 0.125 to 3 Hz in single canine Purkinje cells loaded with fluo3 and imaged with a confocal microscope. The experiments uncovered the following novel aspects of Ca(2+) regulation in Purkinje cells: 1) the cells exhibit a negative Ca(2+)-frequency relationship (at 2.5 Hz, Ca(2+) transient amplitude was 66 ± 6% smalle

SUBMITTER: Lee YS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3059096 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature