A protocol combining current- and voltage-clamp provides a novel and useful three-dimensional representation of cardiac action potential

Abstract

A compact three-dimensional representation of cardiac action potential (AP) properties in terms of current source is presented here. The experimental protocol used to obtain such representation is based on the measure of instantaneous current-voltage relationships during the course of the AP. The procedure, which combines current- and voltage-clamps on patch clamped cardiac myocytes, has been previously applied to real cells, and then extended to computer simulations with cellular ventricular AP models. The three-dimensional AP representation allows to easily estimate membrane resistance during repolarization, a key factor for the modulation of ventricular repolarization. It also shows that, during late ventricular repolarization, membrane conductance becomes negative, <em>i.e.</em> repolarization is auto-regenerative. The novel AP representation is therefore a useful tool for both in vivo and in silico cardiac cellular electrophysiological investigations.