Electrical signals affect the cardiomyocyte transcriptome independently of contraction.

Cardiomyocytes in vivo are continuously subjected to electrical signals that evoke contractions and instigate drastic changes in the cells' morphology and function. Studies on how electrical stimulation affects the cardiac transcriptome have remained limited to a small number of heart-specific genes. Furthermore, these studies have ignored the interplay between the electrical excitation and the subsequent contractions.

Electrical stimulation of primary neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes using pacemakers.

The study of gene regulation in cardiac myocytes requires a reliable in vitro model. However, monolayer cultures used for this purpose are typically not exposed to electrical stimulation, though this has been shown to strongly affect cardiomyocyte gene expression. Based on pacemakers for clinical use, we developed an easy-to-use portable system that allows the user to perform electro-stimulation of cardiomyocyte cultures in standard tissue incubators without the need for bulky equipment.

Making post-mortem implantable cardioverter defibrillator explantation safe.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate whether protection with rubber or plastic gloves during post-mortem explantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) offers enough protection for the explanting operator during a worst-case scenario (i.e. ICD shock).

Evaluation of cumulative effects of MR imaging on pacemaker systems at 1.5 Tesla.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible cumulative effects of repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations on pacemaker systems in patients with cardiac pacemakers.

Methods And Results: The records of pacemaker patients who underwent repetitive MRI examinations in our institution were reviewed to identify patients who underwent two or more MRI examinations at 1.5T of any anatomical region.

Strategy for safe performance of extrathoracic magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 tesla in the presence of cardiac pacemakers in non-pacemaker-dependent patients: a prospective study with 115 examinations.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a strategy for safe performance of extrathoracic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in non-pacemaker-dependent patients with cardiac pacemakers.

Methods And Results: Inclusion criteria were presence of a cardiac pacemaker and urgent clinical need for an MRI examination. Pacemaker-dependent patients and those requiring examinations of the thoracic region were excluded.