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Auckland scientists are taking a closer look at heartbeats with new optical technology that makes it easier to see cardiac damage or disease.
Researchers at Auckland University have conducted studies on heart muscle cells, including developing methods to trace proteins that play a major role in keeping the heart beating.
The research, by Dr Christian Soeller and Professor Mark Cannell from the faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, was published in this week's early edition of the prestigious US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
With every beat, weak electrical currents travel through the heart and, via a chain of events, cause specialised receptors to release minute amounts of calcium into the cell interior. This leads to a concerted contraction that pushes blood around the body with every heart beat.
By combining advanced optical and computer processing methods, the new research has developed a novel way of seeing these proteins with three-dimensional resolution - the first of its kind for human heart cells.
The new techniques were ideally suited to look for changes that occur when cardiac muscle is diseased or damaged.
"Understanding the pathways that control contraction is vital to improving our understanding of how the heart works and how we can treat it when problems arise," Dr Soeller said.
The research was supported by grants from the Auckland Medical Research Foundation and from the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
- NZPA
