Role of substrate flexibility on cardiac cell culture electrophysiological properties

Major considerations in the design of engineered cardiac patches are the regenerative and electrophysiological properties of cardiac cells. The objective of this study is to compare key cardiomyocyte functional properties for cardiac repair such as proliferation, migration and displacement, and conduction velocity of atrial murine cells (HL-1-myocytes) in two different substrates: (1) rigid Petri dishes and (2) flexible PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) wells. Results from this study confirm that the use of flexible substrates induces a more similar cardiac phenotype to that shown in vivo, especially characterized by higher conduction velocities. This result was supported by a higher expression of genes involved in action potential generation and propagation. Flexible membranes will allow further studying the effect of simultaneous mechanical and electrical stimulation on cardiac properties.