Automated image analysis of cardiac myocyte Ca2+ dynamics

Intracellular Ca
²⁺
dynamics act as a key link between the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart. Here we present a method for high-throughput measurement, automated cell segmentation and signal analysis of Ca
²⁺
transients in isolated adult ventricular myocytes. In addition to increasing experimental throughput ~10-fold compared to conventional approaches, this approach allows the study of individual cell-cell variability and relationships between Ca
²⁺
signaling and cell morphology.