A novel methodology to characterize beat-to-beat alternations in whole-cell calcium currents


Por: Marimon, X, Cerrolaza, M, Tarifa, C, Hove-Madsen, L

Publicada: 28 ene 2026
Resumen:
An automated high-throughput procedure to quantify the degree of electrical beat-to-beat alternants in human atrial myocytes from electrophysiological recordings of the transmembrane ion currents of calcium ions (Ca2+) is presented and discussed. The patch clamp technique in whole-cell mode was used to record the myocyte calcium signal. A database consisting of 24 patch clamp signals (N = 24) of which 13 had a uniform behaviour and 11 had an alternating behaviour, was created. Several features were computed to characterize the transmembrane ion currents: peak amplitude, time constants, and area under the ion current trace. The presented algorithm includes a feature detector whose accuracy has been validated using simulated calcium signals generated by an electrical model that accurately represents the cardiomyocyte behaviour in a patch clamp experiment. Among these calculated features, a new index measure, called the "alternation index", is proposed in this work to quantify the degree of electrical beat-to-beat alternants. The index has been shown to be a robust measure (p <= 0.01 **) for cell detection with an alternating pattern. Good agreement was observed with alternations in other calculated features like the measurement of the inactivation of L-type calcium current (Ica) or the tail current (ITail) generated by calcium extrusion upon repolarization.

Filiaciones:
Marimon, X:
 Univ Politecn Catalunya UPC BarcelonaTECH, Dept Strength Mat & Struct Engn, Barcelona, Spain

 Inst Recerca & Innovacio Salut IRIS, Barcelona, Spain

Cerrolaza, M:
 Univ Int Valencia VIU, Sch Engn Sci & Technol, Valencia, Spain

Tarifa, C:
 Spanish Natl Ctr Cardiovasc Res CNIC, Madrid, Spain

Hove-Madsen, L:
 Inst Invest Biomed Barcelona IIBB CSIC, Barcelona, Spain

 Biomed Res Inst St Pau IIB St Pau, Barcelona, Spain

 Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Cardiovasc CIBE, Madrid, Spain
ISSN: 19326203





PLoS One
Editorial
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 21 Número: 1
Páginas:
WOS Id: 001684332300003
ID de PubMed: 41604389
imagen Green Submitted, gold

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