Optimization of electrical stimulation parameters for cardiac tissue engineering

J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2011 Jun;5(6):e115-25. doi: 10.1002/term.377. Epub 2011 Jan 10.

Abstract

In vitro application of pulsatile electrical stimulation to neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured on polymer scaffolds has been shown to improve the functional assembly of cells into contractile engineered cardiac tissues. However, to date, the conditions of electrical stimulation have not been optimized. We have systematically varied the electrode material, amplitude and frequency of stimulation to determine the conditions that are optimal for cardiac tissue engineering. Carbon electrodes, exhibiting the highest charge-injection capacity and producing cardiac tissues with the best structural and contractile properties, were thus used in tissue engineering studies. Engineered cardiac tissues stimulated at 3 V/cm amplitude and 3 Hz frequency had the highest tissue density, the highest concentrations of cardiac troponin-I and connexin-43 and the best-developed contractile behaviour. These findings contribute to defining bioreactor design specifications and electrical stimulation regime for cardiac tissue engineering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bioreactors
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Electrodes
  • Heart / physiology*
  • Models, Biological
  • Myocardium / ultrastructure
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Tissue Engineering / methods*