Influence of local mechanical stimulus on cardiac cell aggregate

Mechanical stimuli by a probe were applied to myocardial cell aggregates in vitro. The stimulus was given periodically and its motion was mimicking the actual contraction-relaxation motion of spontaneous beating by a cell aggregate. We investigated the effect of the external stimuli on spontaneous beating of cell aggregates in short-term at room temperature and in long-term under culture conditions. At room temperature, myocardial cell aggregates were sensitive to the stimuli and the aggregate’s spontaneous interbeat interval (IBI) dramatically changed in time. In contrast, the long-term periodic stimuli tended aggregates to synchronize their beating with the stimulus frequencies by 24h. Finally, we would discuss the biological responses under long-term mechanical stimuli in culture conditions.