This article describes the technique used to perform dual channel optical mapping in cultured HL-1 atrial cell monolayers. This unique protocol allows the simultaneous visualization of both calcium (Ca) and voltage (Vm) activity in the same area for the detailed detection and analysis of electrophysiological properties of culture monolayers.
Optical mapping has proven to be a valuable technique to detect cardiac electrical activity on both intact ex vivo hearts and in cultured myocyte monolayers. HL-1 cells have been widely used as a 2-Dimensional cellular model for studying diverse aspects of cardiac physiology. However, it has been a great challenge to optically map calcium (Ca) transients and action potentials simultaneously from the same field of view in a cultured HL-1 atrial cell monolayer. This is because special handling and care is required to prepare healthy cells that can be electrically captured and optically mapped. Therefore, we have developed an optimal working protocol for dual channel optical mapping. In this manuscript, we have described in detail how to perform the dual channel optical mapping experiment. This protocol is a useful tool to enhance the understanding of action potential propagation and Ca kinetics in arrhythmia development.
A unique calcium (Ca) and voltage (Vm) dual channel optical mapping technique1-5 is emerging as an efficient tool to simultaneously record Vm and Ca signals in both intact hearts and cultured cell monolayers. This technique makes it possible to obtain powerful information regarding the relationship between calcium transients and action potentials to better understand the underlying electrophysiological mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias.
Cultured cell monolayers have proven to be a useful cellular model to study cardiac electrophysiology and the underlying mechanism of arrhythmias.4,6-8 HL-1 cells are a well-characterized atrial myocyte culture line. HL-1 cells also maintain a uniquely differentiated genotype and phenotype that includes morphologic, electrophysiologic, and pharmacologic characteristics of adult atrial myocytes. These cells express cardiac genes and proteins, including important cardiac ion channels (i.e., L- and T-type calcium channels)9 and mature isoforms of sarcomeric contractile proteins normally found in adult atrial myocytes as others and we have previously reported.10-13 In addition, HL-1 cells can be cultured to form a 2-dimensional (2-D) myocyte monolayer. Thus, the advantages of using cultured HL-1 monolayers include: 1) relatively lower cost and easier to maintain a myocyte culture line than isolating and culturing primary neonatal myocytes; 2) a confluent monolayer of cells reduces the structural complexities that result from the 3-D structure of the heart; 3) a cell monolayer can eliminate the interference of interstitial fibrosis that occurs in the intact heart. This can be used to dissect specific electrophysiological functions of a group of myocytes without interference of fibroblasts and interstitial matrix; 4) assessment of functional consequences from pharmacological or genetic manipulation in cultured cell monolayers can be effectively achieved. Therefore, HL-1 cells have become a widely used cellular model for studying diverse aspects of myocyte physiology as well as pacing-induced abnormal electrical activities.13-16 However, special handling and care is required to culture healthy cell monolayers that respond to external electrical pacing for optical mapping studies. In addition, dual florescent dye staining procedure may easily damage the integrity of cultured confluent cell monolayers. Thus, performing Vm/CA dual channel optical mapping in cultured HL-1 monolayers has been a great challenge.
The goal of this method is to provide the key steps for successfully performing dual channel optical mapping in cultured HL-1 monolayers. Here we have provided extensive details on an optimized protocol for HL-1 cell monolayer preparation, dual channel optical mapping of a cultured cell monolayer, and mapping data processing.
1. Solution Preparation
NOTE: 1-4 solutions are based on the Claycomb HL-1 cell culture protocol with minor modification.
2. Passaging and Culturing HL-1 Atrial Myocytes onto Coverslips
NOTE: The HL-1 cells can be obtained from Dr. Claycomb (Louisiana State University).
3. Loading Calcium and Voltage Sensitive Dyes to the Cells
4. Dual Channel Optical Mapping
5. Data Processing of Vm or Ca Recordings
6. Visualization of the Wave Front Propagation
A cultured confluent monolayer exhibits a regular intrinsic rhythm as demonstrated in Movie 1. We then performed Vm/Ca dual channel optical mapping in a fully confluent HL-1 monolayer. Figure 1A shows example traces of Vm and Ca signals from a recorded single beat. Representative isochronal maps of uniformly propagated Vm and Ca signals using the dual channel optical mapping system are shown in Figures 1B and 1C. Representative chronological images of uniformly propagated action potentials and Ca transients were obtained from the same HL-1 culture monolayer. Finally, Movies 2 and 3 provide animation examples of a uniformly propagated action potential (Movie 2) and calcium transient (Movie 3) in the HL-1 confluent monolayer.
Figure 1: (A) Example traces of Vm (blue) and Ca (red) from an electrically paced beat at a cycle length (CL) of 500 msec. (B) An image of our optical mapping system for HL-1 monolayers. (C) An isochronal map of action potential propagation from the same paced beat throughout the whole vision field. (D) An isochronal map of Ca transient propagation from the same paced beat throughout the vision field. In both isochronal maps, time lapse is represented with colors, starting with dark blue as initiation and dark red at 50 msec. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2: (A) A series of maps of Vm distribution at 60, 80, 140, and 200 msec after the start of recording. (B) Maps of Ca distribution at 60, 80, 140, and 200 msec after the start of recording.
Movie 1: A representative movie recorded from a confluent HL-1 monolayer at culture day five, under a light microscope with a 40X objective.
Movie 2: A representative movie of a propagated action potential from a paced beat at a CL of 500 msec.
Movie 3: A representative movie of a propagated Ca transient from a paced beat at a CL of 500 msec.
This article describes the key aspects of optical mapping in a cultured HL-1 atrial myocyte monolayer stained with calcium and voltage sensitive fluorescent dyes. It includes culturing an optimal HL-1 cell monolayer, setup of the mapping equipment, mapping a cultured monolayer, and data analysis.
To successfully map cultured cells, the key is to prepare a uniformly distributed cell monolayer. When seeding the cells on to the coverslips, be sure to evenly disperse the cells. Always map fully-grown and completely confluent cell monolayers, as these will best respond to electrical pacing. It is also important to keep the cells oxygenated while loading the dyes, but the oxygen bubbles should not come into direct contact with the cells as this may kill or dislodge them from the coverslip. Lowering dye concentration and reducing light intensity will decrease signal magnitude and reduce signal to noise ratio, while increasing dye concentration and enhancing light intensity will increase signal magnitude but also increase noise. Therefore, an optimal balance of fluorescent dye concentration and excitation light strength must be determined to enhance signal to noise ratio of recording signals. Moreover, during optical mapping recording, be sure to avoid exposing the cell monolayer to long exposures of concentrated light as this may cause photodynamic cell damage within the light exposed area. Finally, an optical mapping system that provides high temporal and spatial resolution of recording signals is required for obtaining high quality data.
While dual channel optical mapping in intact hearts has great potential for studying cardiac electrophysiology due to its ability to simultaneous collect voltage and calcium signals, one limitation is that this technique collects information from a 3-D surface as a 2-D projection map. Obtained 2-D data from intact hearts with ignored information of 3-D curvature of the heart could result in errors in data analyses, especially in conduction velocity analysis. With the advantages of using a cultured 2-D HL-1 cellular model, we are able to visualize regular and irregular rhythms, assess Ca transient and action potential kinetics, determine conduction velocity and characterize Ca and action potential propagation patterns (uniform or non-uniform propagation) without interfering from the 3-D structure of an intact heart. Therefore, successfully mapping both calcium transients and action potentials in a cultured HL-1 atrial myocyte monolayer as a complimentary approach can greatly enhance the understanding of the electrophysiologic properties of atrial myocytes and the underlying mechanisms of atrial arrhythmogenesis.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
We would like to thank Dr. Claycomb for providing HL-1 cells and detailed maintenance protocol. We would also like to thank Ms. Elena Carrillo and Dr. Seth Robia for their assistance with generating the cell movie and Mr. Pete Caron for his assistance with making some accessories for our dual channel optical mapping system.
This work was supported by American Heart Association (10GRNT3770030 & 12GRNT12050478 to XA), National Institutes of Health (HL113640 to XA), and Loyola University Research Development Fund (to XA).
Name of Material/ Equipment | Company | Catalog Number | Comments/Description |
Rhod2 dry powder | AAT Bioquest | 21062 | |
pluronic | AAT Bioquest | 20050 | |
DMSO | sigma | 276855 | |
Rh237 | Invitrogen | S-1109 | |
NaCl | sigma | S7653 | |
KCl | sigma | P3911 | |
KH2PO4 | sigma | P0662 | |
NaH2PO4 | sigma | S9638 | |
MgSO4 | sigma | M7506 | |
D-Glucose | sigma | G8270 | |
NaHCO3 | sigma | S6014 | |
CaCl2 | sigma | C3881 | |
HEPEs | sigma | H3375 |