Biomaterial Database

Mechanical measurements from isolated cardiac myocytes using a pipette attachment system. 1996

R E Palmer, and A J Brady, and K P Roos

Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles 90095, USA.

Single rat left ventricular myocytes were attached at both ends using a newly described double-barreled micropipette technique. This attachment procedure enabled the measurement of the active and passive mechanical properties of chemically skinned cells that showed little structural deformation. The force and oscillatory stiffness (100 Hz) of the cells were measured with a high signal-to-noise ratio, and the sarcomere length throughout the entire cell was monitored using image analysis. The passive properties were investigated from the resting sarcomere length to > 3 microns. Analysis of the sarcomere behavior indicated a high level of homogeneity throughout the cell. The attachment method supported the full activation of the cells by increased free Ca2+ (pCa 4.5), which produced 22.3 mN/mm (mean sarcomere length 2.11 microns). A force/pCa relationship was determined, which, when fitted according to the Hill equation, gave parameters of nH = 2.62 and pCa50 = 5.58. The described techniques allow the accurate study of the mechanical properties of single myocytes with increased fidelity and reliability over the preexisting methods.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009200	Myocardial Contraction	Contractile activity of the MYOCARDIUM.	Heart Contractility,Inotropism, Cardiac,Cardiac Inotropism,Cardiac Inotropisms,Contractilities, Heart,Contractility, Heart,Contraction, Myocardial,Contractions, Myocardial,Heart Contractilities,Inotropisms, Cardiac,Myocardial Contractions
D009206	Myocardium	The muscle tissue of the HEART. It is composed of striated, involuntary muscle cells (MYOCYTES, CARDIAC) connected to form the contractile pump to generate blood flow.	Muscle, Cardiac,Muscle, Heart,Cardiac Muscle,Myocardia,Cardiac Muscles,Heart Muscle,Heart Muscles,Muscles, Cardiac,Muscles, Heart
D002309	Cardiology	The study of the heart, its physiology, and its functions.	Angiology,Cardiovascular Disease Specialty,Vascular Medicine,Disease Specialty, Cardiovascular,Medicine, Vascular,Specialty, Cardiovascular Disease
D002469	Cell Separation	Techniques for separating distinct populations of cells.	Cell Isolation,Cell Segregation,Isolation, Cell,Cell Isolations,Cell Segregations,Cell Separations,Isolations, Cell,Segregation, Cell,Segregations, Cell,Separation, Cell,Separations, Cell
D004867	Equipment Design	Methods and patterns of fabricating machines and related hardware.	Design, Equipment,Device Design,Medical Device Design,Design, Medical Device,Designs, Medical Device,Device Design, Medical,Device Designs, Medical,Medical Device Designs,Design, Device,Designs, Device,Designs, Equipment,Device Designs,Equipment Designs
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001696	Biomechanical Phenomena	The properties, processes, and behavior of biological systems under the action of mechanical forces.	Biomechanics,Kinematics,Biomechanic Phenomena,Mechanobiological Phenomena,Biomechanic,Biomechanic Phenomenas,Phenomena, Biomechanic,Phenomena, Biomechanical,Phenomena, Mechanobiological,Phenomenas, Biomechanic
D012518	Sarcomeres	The repeating contractile units of the MYOFIBRIL, delimited by Z bands along its length.	Sarcomere
D016276	Ventricular Function	The hemodynamic and electrophysiological action of the HEART VENTRICLES.	Function, Ventricular,Functions, Ventricular,Ventricular Functions
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus