Real-Time In Vivo Imaging of Mouse Left Ventricle Reveals Fluctuating Movements of the Intercalated Discs.

ABSTRACT: Myocardial contraction is initiated by action potential propagation through the conduction system of the heart. It has been thought that connexin 43 in the gap junctions (GJ) within the intercalated disc (ID) provides direct electric connectivity between cardiomyocytes (electronic conduction). However, recent studies challenge this view by providing evidence that the mechanosensitive cardiac sodium channels Nav1.5 localized in perinexii at the GJ edge play an important role in spreading action potentials between neighboring cells (ephaptic conduction). In the present study, we performed real-time confocal imaging of the CellMask-stained ID in the living mouse heart in vivo. We found that the ID structure was not rigid. Instead, we observed marked flexing of the ID during propagation of con

SUBMITTER: Kobirumaki-Shimozawa F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7153594 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature