Nicole De Jesus, Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering, and Ripplinger Lab colleagues have a new publication in Circulation Research titled “Optical Mapping of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ in the Intact Heart: Ryanodine Receptor Refractoriness During Alternans and Fibrillation.”

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca cycling is key to normal excitation-contraction coupling but also contribute to pathological cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.  Simultaneous optical mapping of SR Ca and transmembrane potential in the intact heart shows that ryanodine receptor refractoriness played a key role in the onset of SR Ca alternans and during ventricular fibrillation.  This novel method provides insight into SR Ca handling during cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.

http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/02/25/CIRCRESAHA.114.302505.abstract