Methodology for Cross-Talk Elimination in Simultaneous Voltage and Calcium Optical Mapping Measurements With Semasbestic Wavelengths

Front Physiol. 2022 Feb 11:13:812968. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.812968. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Most cardiac arrhythmias at the whole heart level result from alteration of cell membrane ionic channels and intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+] i ) cycling with emerging spatiotemporal behavior through tissue-level coupling. For example, dynamically induced spatial dispersion of action potential duration, QT prolongation, and alternans are clinical markers for arrhythmia susceptibility in regular and heart-failure patients that originate due to changes of the transmembrane voltage (V m) and [Ca2+] i . We present an optical-mapping methodology that permits simultaneous measurements of the V m - [Ca2+] i signals using a single-camera without cross-talk, allowing quantitative characterization of favorable/adverse cell and tissue dynamical effects occurring from remodeling and/or drugs in heart failure. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally in six different species the existence of a family of excitation wavelengths, we termed semasbestic, that give no change in signal for one dye, and thus can be used to record signals from another dye, guaranteeing zero cross-talk.

Keywords: alternans; fluorescent dyes; intracellular free calcium concentration; isosbestic point; optical mapping; semasbestic wavelength; transmembrane voltage.