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Cardiac function in vivo: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Imaging and Analysis  

For small animals (mouse and rat): ​
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  • Cardiac functional parameters: heart rate (HR), ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), left ventricle at the end of diastole (LVEDV), left ventricle at the end of systole (LVEDS)
  • Cardiac structural parameters: LV wall thickness, LV diameter  
Acquisition of Images at the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Research Support Centre, UCM 

Cardiac function in vivo: Blood Pressure and ECG  

For small animals (mouse and rat): ​
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  • Hemodynamic Parameters: systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), heart rate (HR), first derivative of LV pressure rise over time(dP/dtmax), first derivative of LV pressure decline over time (dP/dtmin)
  • ECG: with two integrated electrodes under the paws or external electrodes
  • Monitoring of other physiological parameters: respiration, breath rate, rectal temperature 
​Analysis using Physiological Monitoring System for small animals (Harvard Apparatus)

Enzymatic isolation of adult and neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes   

For small animals (mouse and rat): ​
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  • Adult ventricular cardiomyocytes are isolated by retrograde perfusion using type II collagenase 
​Isolation using Langerdorff Perfusion System

Intracellular calcium imaging and analysis in isolated cardiomyocytes

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Isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes are loaded with the membrane permeant Fluo-3 AM. All these parameters can be registered:
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  • Intracellular calcium transient: systolic & diastolic calcium, SERCA activity 
  • Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium load: total systolic & diastolic calcium, NCX activity
  • Cell shortening 
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  • Calcium sparks: RyR activity 
     In these analysis, cardiomyocytes are maintained quiescent 
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  • Calcium waves, spontaneous calcium release & triggered activity
         
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​In these analysis, cardiomyocytes are electrically stimulated with two platinum electrodes
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In these analysis, cardiomyocytes are electrically stimulated following a train of several stimulations and stops 
Analysis using LSM 510 Confocal Microscope

Post-Myocardial Infarction (PMI) experimental model

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C57BL/6J mice are used for Post-Myocardial Infarction (PMI) model. PMI is perform in 10-12 week-old mice through left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation. The goal of this technique is to achieve an infarction around 25% of the left ventricular mass.
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