Electrophysiology of Single Cardiomyocytes: Patch Clamp and Other Recording Methods

To effectively pump blood throughout the body, each individual myocyte in the heart must be electrically coordinated with other myocytes during a cardiac cycle. The heart is composed of excitable myocytes and nonexcitable cells. The excitable cells are responsible for electrical initiation and conduction to activate the heart; they are also responsible for mechanical contraction to pump the blood. Therefore, methods and protocols used for studying cellular electrophysiology of single cardiomyocytes are crucial for understanding physiological functions of a normal heart or pathological mechanisms of a diseased heart. Electrophysiological activity of single cells can be investigated with various techniques either in situ (in tissue) or in isolated and cultured cells. The methods and techniques used in cellular electrophysiology in recent decades have greatly advanced the knowledge of cardiomyocyte function and arrhythmias at cellular and molecular levels. This chapter describes the patch clamp and other recording methods used for studying cardiac action potentials and ion channels.