Abstract
We extend second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to the measurement of sarcomere length in unstained living cardiac myocytes with 20-nm accuracy. We quantify individual sarcomere shortening in the presence of saxitoxin and find that it is in agreement with mechanical measurements of atrial tissue contracture. This functional application of SHG microscopy is generally applicable to quantify the physiological effects of drugs on contractile tissue. Our data also suggest that packed myosin heads in sarcomere thick filaments are responsible for the large second-harmonic endogenous signal in muscle tissue.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Evaluation Study
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Validation Study
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Atrial Function / drug effects
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Cells, Cultured
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Heart Atria / drug effects
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Heart Atria / ultrastructure
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Image Enhancement / methods*
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Microscopy, Confocal / methods*
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Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / methods*
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Myocardial Contraction / drug effects
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Myocardial Contraction / physiology
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Myocytes, Cardiac / drug effects
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Myocytes, Cardiac / physiology
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Myocytes, Cardiac / ultrastructure*
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Nanotechnology / methods*
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Ranidae
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Reproducibility of Results
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Sarcomeres / drug effects
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Sarcomeres / physiology
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Sarcomeres / ultrastructure*
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Saxitoxin / pharmacology
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Sensitivity and Specificity