Abstract
Fibroblasts in the heart can respond to mechanical deformation of the plasma membrane with characteristic changes of their membrane potential. Membrane depolarization of the fibroblasts occurs during the myocardial contractions and is caused by an influx of cations, mainly of sodium ions, into the cells. Conversely, application of mechanical stretch to the cells, i.e., during diastolic relaxation of the myocardium, will hyperpolarize the membrane potential of the fibroblasts due to reduced sodium entry. Thus, cardiac fibroblasts can function as mechano–electric transducers that are possibly involved in the mechano–electric feedback mechanism of the heart. Mechano–electric feedback refers to the phenomenon, that the cardiac mechanical environment, which depends on the variable filling pressure of the ventricles, modulates the electrical function of the heart. Increased sensitivity of the cardiac fibroblasts to mechanical forces may contribute to the electrical instability and arrhythmic disposition of the heart after myocardial infarction. Novel findings indicate that these processes involve the intercellular transfer of electrical signals between fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes via gap junctions. In this article we will discuss the recent progress in the electrophysiology of cardiac fibroblasts. The main focus will be on the intercellular pathways through which fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes communicate with each other.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bainbridge FA (1915) The influence of venous filling upon the rate of the heart. J Physical (London) 50:65–84
Barrabes JA, Garcia–Dorado D, Padilla F, Agullo L, Trobo L, Carballo J, Soler–Soler J (2002) Ventricular fibrillation during acute coronary occlusion is related to the dilation of the ischemic region. Basic Res Cardiol 97:445–451
Baumgarten CM, Clemo HF (2003) Swelling–activated chloride channels in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 82:25–42
Binggeli R, Weinstein RC (1985) Deficits in elevating membrane potential of rat fibrosarcoma cells after cell contact. Cancer Res 45 (1):235–241
Borek C, Higashino S, Loewenstein WR (1969) Intercellular communication and tissue growth. IV. Conductance of membrane junctions of normal and cancerous cells in culture. J Membr Biol 1:274–293
Camelliti P, Devlin GP, Matthews KG, Kohl P (2004) Spatially and temporally distinct expression of fibroblast connexins after sheep ventricular infarction. Cardiovasc Res 62 (2):415–425
Camelliti P, Green CR, LeGrice I, Kohl P (2004) Fibroblast network in rabbit sinoatrial node: structural and functional identification of homogeneous and heterogeneous cell coupling. Circ Res 94 (6):828–835
Camelliti P, Borg TK, Kohl P (2005) Structural and functional characterisation of cardiac fibroblasts. Cardiovasc Res 65:40–51
Davies MJ, Pomerance A (1972) Quantitative study of ageing changes in the human sinoatrial node and internodal tracts. British Heart Journal 34:150–160
Dean JW, Lab MJ (1989) Arrhythmia in heart failure: role of mechanically induced changes in electrophysiology. Lancet 1(8650):1309–1312
Dhein S (1998) Gap junction channels in the cardiovascular system: pharmacological and physiological modulation. Trends Pharmacol Sci 19 (6):229–241
Franz MR (1996) Mechano–electrical feedback in ventricular myocardium. Cardiovasc Res 32 (1):15–24
Garcia–Dorado D, Rodriguez–Sinovas A, Ruiz–Meana M (2004) Gap junctionmediated spread of cell injury and death during myocardial ischemia–reperfusion. Cardiovasc Res 61:386–401
Gaudesius G, Miragoli M, Thomas SP, Rohr S (2003) Coupling of cardiac electrical activity over extended distances by fibroblasts of cardiac origin. Circ Res 93 (5):421–428
Goshima K (1970) Formation of nexuses and electrotonic transmission between myocardial and FL cells in monolayer culture. Exp Cell Res 63 (1):124–130
Hyde A, Blondel B, Matter A, Cheneval JP, Filloux B, Girardier L (1969) Homo– and heterocellular junctions in cell cultures: An electrophysiological and morphological study. Progr Brain Res 31:283–311
Isenberg G, Kazanski V, Kondratev D, Gallitelli MF, Kiseleva I, Kamkin A (2003) Differential effects of stretch and compression on membrane currents and [Na+]c in ventricular myocytes. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 82 (1–3):43–56
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Isenberg G (2000) Stretch–activated currents in ventricular myocytes: amplitude and arrhythmogenic effects increase with hypertrophy. Cardiovasc Res 48:409–420
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Wagner KD, Leiterer KP, Theres H, Scholz H, Günther J, Lab MJ (2000) Mechano–electric feedback in right atrium after left ventricular infarction in rats. J Mol Cell Cardiol 32:465–477
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Wagner KD, Bohm J, Theres H, Günther J, Scholz H (2003) Characterization of stretch–activated ion currents in isolated atrial myocytes from human hearts. Pflügers Arch 446 (3):339–346
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Isenberg G (2003) Activation and inactivation of a nonselective cation conductance by local mechanical deformation of acutely isolated cardiac fibroblasts. Cardiovasc Res 57 (3):793–803
Kamkin A, Kiseleva, I, Isenberg G, Wagner KD, Günther J, Theres H, Scholz H (2003) Cardiac fibroblasts and the mechano–electric feedback mechanism in healthy and diseased hearts. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 82 (1–3):111–120
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Isenberg G (2003) Ion selectivity of stretch–activated cation currents in mouse ventricular myocytes. Pflügers Arch 446 (2):220–231
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Wagner KD, Lammerich A, Bohm J, Persson PB, Günther J (1999) Mechanically induced potentials in fibroblasts from human right atrium. Exp Physiol 84:347–356
Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Wagner KD, Pylaev A, Leiterer KP, Theres H, Scholz H, Günther J, Isenberg G (2002) A possible role for atrial fibroblasts in postinfarction bradycardia. Am J Physiol 282:H842–H849
Kiseleva I, Kamkin A, Wagner KD, Theres H, Ladhoff A, Scholz H, Günther J, Lab MJ (2000) Mechano–electric feedback after left ventricular infarction in rats. Cardiovasc Res 45:370–378
Kiseleva IS, Kamkin AG, Kircheis R, Kositski GI (1978) Intercellular electrotonical interaction in the cardiac sinus node in the frog. Reports of Academy of Science of USSR 292 (6):1502–1505
Kiseleva I, Kamkin A, Leiterer KP, Kohl P (1993) Interaction of mechanosensitive cells with surrounding cells in the right atrium of the rat heart. J Mol Cell Cardiol 25 (suppl. 1):S76
Kiseleva I, Kamkin A, Kohl P, Lab M (1996) Calcium and mechanically induced potentials in fibroblasts of rat atrium. Cardiovasc Res 32:98–111
Kiseleva I, Kamkin A, Pylaev A, Kondratjev D, Leiterer KP, Theres H, Wagner KD, Persson PB, Günther J (1998) Electrophysiological properties of mechanosensitive atrial fibroblasts from chronic infarcted rat heart. J Mol Cell Cardiol 30 (6):1083–1093
Kohl P, Kamkin A, Kiseleva I, Streubel T (1992) Mechanosensitive cells in the atrium of frog Heart. Exp Physiol 77:213–216
Kohl P, Kamkin AG, Kiseleva IS, Noble D (1994) Mechanosensitive fibroblasts in the sino–atrial node region of rat heart: interaction with cardiomyocytes and possible role. Exp Physiol 79:943–956
Kohl P, Noble D (1996) Mechanosensitive connective tissue: potential influence on heart rhythm. Cardiovasc Res 32:62–68
Kohl P (2003) Heterogeneous cell coupling in the heart: an electrophysiological role for fibroblasts. Circ Res 93:381–383
Larsen WJ, Azarnia R, Loewenstein WR (1977) Intercellular communication and tissue growth: IX. Junctional membrane structure of hybrids between communication– competent and communicationincompetent cells. J Membr Biol 34 (1):39–54
Lathrop DA, Bailey JC (1977) Lack of electrical interaction between proximal bundle branches and subjacent muscle. J Appl Physiol 42 (2):235–239
Manabe I, Shindo T, Nagai R (2002) Gene expression in fibroblasts and fibrosis: involvement in cardiac hypertrophy. Circ Res 91:1103–1113
Mark GE, Strasser FF (1966) Pacemaker activity and mitosis in cultures of newborn rat heart ventricle cells. Exp Cell Res 44:217–233
Maziere de AMGL, Ginneken van ACG, Wilders R, Jongsma HJ, Bouman LN (1992) Spatial and functional relationship between myocytes and fibroblasts in the rabbit sinoatrial node. J Mol Cell Cardiol 24:567–578
Meghji P, Nazir SA, Dick DJ, Bailey ME, Johnson KJ, Lab MJ (1997) Regional workload induced changes in electrophysiology and immediate early gene expression in intact in situ porcine heart. J Mol Cell Cardiol 29:3147–3155
Moreno AP (2004) Biophysical properties of homomeric and heteromultimeric channels formed by cardiac connexins. Cardiovasc Res 62:276–286
Naccarella F, Lepera G, Rolli A (2000) Arrhythmic risk stratification of postmyocardial infarction patients. Curr Opin Cardiol 15:1–6
Nazir SA, Lab MJ (1996) Mechanoelectric feedback and atrial arrhythmias. Cardiovasc Res 32 (1):52–61
O’Lague P, Dalen H, Rubin H, Tobias C (1970) Electrical coupling: low resistance junctions between mitotic and interphase fibroblasts in tissue culture. Science 170 (956):464–466
Oyamada M, Kimura H, Oyamada Y, Miyamoto A, Ohshika H, Mori M (1994) The expression, phosphorylation, and localization of connexin43 and gap–junctional intercellular communication during the establishment of a synchronized contraction of cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. Exp Cell Res 212 (2):351–358
Poburko D, Lhote P, Szado T, Behra T, Rahimian R, McManus B, van Breemen C, Ruegg UT (2004) Basal calcium entry in vascular smooth muscle. Eur J Pharmacol 505:19–29
Ravens U (2003) Mechano–electric feedback and arrhythmias. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 82(1–3):255–266
Rohr S (2004) Role of gap junctions in the propagation of the cardiac action potential. Cardiovasc Res 62:309–322
Rook MB, Jongsma HJ, deJonge B (1989) Single channel currents of homo– and heterologous gap junctions between cardiac fibroblasts and myocytes. Pflügers Arch 414:95–98
Rook MB, Jongsma HJ, van Ginneken ACG (1988) Properties of single gap junctional channels between isolated neonatal rat heart cells. Am J Physiol 255:H770–H782
Rook MB, Jonge B de, Jongsma HJ, Masson–Pevet MA (1990) Gap junction formation and functional interaction between neonatal rat cardiocytes in culture: a correlative physiological and ultrastructural study. J Membrane Biol 118:179–192
Sachs F, Morris CE (1998) Mechanosensitive ion channels in nonspecialized cells. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 132:1–77
Saffitz JE, Kanter HL, Green KG, Tolley TK, Beyer EC (1994) Tissue–specific determinants of anisotropic conduction velocity in canine atrial and ventricular myocardium. Circ Res 74:1065–1070
Saltman AE, Aksehirli TO, Valiunas V et al. (2002) Gap junction uncoupling protects the heart against ischemia. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 124:371–376
Schulz R, Heusch G (2004) Connexin 43 and ischemic preconditioning. Cardiovasc Res 62:335–344
Severs NJ (1990) The cardiac gap junction and intercalated disc. Int J Cardiol 26:137–173
Severs NJ (1994) Pathophysiology of gap junction in heart disease. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 5:462–475
Shiraishi I, Takamatsu T, Mimikawa T, Onouchi Z, Fujita S (1992) Quantitative histological analysis of the human sinoatrial node during growth and aging. Circulation 85:2176–2184
Sukharev S, Anishkin A (2004) Mechanosensitive channels: what can we learn from ‘simple’ model systems? Trends Neurosci 27 (6):345–351
Söhl G, Willecke K (2004) Gap junctions and the connexin protein family. Cardiovasc Res 62 (2):228–232
Taggart P (1996) Mechano–electric feedback in the human heart. Cardiovasc Res 32 (1):38–43
Takens–Kwak BR, Jongsma HJ (1992) Cardiac gap junctions: three distinct single channel conductances and their modulation by phosphorylating treatments. Pflügers Arch 422 (2):198–200
Underwood RD, Sra J, Akhtar M (1997) Evaluation and treatment strategies in patients at high risk of sudden death post myocardial infarction. Clin Cardiol 20:753–758
Veen van TAB, Rijen van HVM, Opthof T (2001) Cardiac gap junction channels: modulation of expression and channel properties. Cardiovasc Res 51:217–229
Veenstra RD (1990) Voltage–dependent, gating of gap junction channels in embryonic chick venticular pairs. Am J Physiol 258:C662–C672
Yue H, Uzui H, Lee JD, Shimizu H, Ueda T (2004) Effects of magnesium on matrix metalloproteinase–2 production in cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts. Basic Res Cardiol 99:257–263
Zeng T, Bett GCL, Sachs F (2000) Stretchactivated whole cell currents in adult rat cardiac myocytes. Am J Physiol 278:H548–H557
Zhang YH, Youm JB, Sung HK, Lee SH, Ryu SY, Ho WK, Earm YE (2000) Stretchactivated and background non–selective cation channels in rat atrial myocytes. J Physiol 523 (3):607–619
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kamkin, A., Kiseleva, I., Lozinsky, I. et al. Electrical interaction of mechanosensitive fibroblasts and myocytes in the heart. Basic Res Cardiol 100, 337–345 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-005-0529-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-005-0529-4