Optogenetic Hyperpolarization of Cardiomyocytes Terminates Ventricular Arrhythmia

Conclusion Cardiomyocyte-specific expression of the light-inducible proton pump ArchT allowed to investigate the effects of isolated hyperpolarization in the intact heart. Thereby we were able to demonstrate that hyperpolarization per se can terminate VA with an increased electrical sink being the most probable mechanism. Ethics Statement Animal breeding and handling were performed in accordance to the European Guideline for animal experiments 2010/63/EU. Ethical approval for animal experiments was not required because experiments were exclusively performed ex vivo on isolated hearts and transgenic animals did not show any pathological phenotype (as assessed by standardized score sheets for animal welfare). Author Contributions TB and PS designed the study. MF, DM, PS, and TB performed the experiments. MF, DM, and TB analyzed the data. MF, PS, and TB prepared the manuscript. Funding This work was supported by the German Research Foundation [315402240/SA1785/8-1, 313904155/SA1785/7-1, 380524518/SA1785/9-1, 214362475/GRK1873/2, and SPP 1926 Young Investigator Program (GO1011/11-1)], the BONFOR Program, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, funding program Photonics Research Germany, project BioPACE (13N14087) and TB was supported by the DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research). We also acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Funds of the German Research Foundation and the Göttingen Univers...
Source: Frontiers in Physiology - Category: Physiology Source Type: research