Sarcometrics

Sarcometrics provides pre-clinical evaluations of candidate pharmaceuticals, compounds, proteins and peptides in cardiac and skeletal muscle-Our Services- Cardiac Slice Contraction-Relaxation Function: Our excitable cardiac slice model allows for precise control of sarcomere length. Isometric force transients are quantified to assess contraction–relaxation function and its dependence on sarcomere length, preload, and afterload. Additionally, using force–length work loops, we can mimic the pressure–volume work loops of a heart in vivo at multiple sarcomere lengths. Calcium Regulation: Intracellular calcium is measured in slices loaded with CalRed AM via 525/650 nm emission ratios. Intracellular calcium transient characteristics can be used to quantify intracellular calcium regulation and reveal effects of disease, sex, drugs, signaling agonists, or gene therapies. Myofilament Force Production & Calcium Sensitivity: Demembranated myocardium allows sarcomere visualization and isometric tension recording across calcium concentrations, yielding maximum force per cross-sectional area and myofilament calcium sensitivity. Myosin Crossbridge Kinetics: In demembranated myocardium, sinusoidal analysis and quick-stretch tests quantify myosin detachment rates and force redevelopment, revealing effects of disease, sex, interventions, or gene therapies. Cardiac Myocyte Contraction-Relaxation Function: Excitable myocytes are used to measure characteristics of contraction-relaxation function, ideal for high-throughput drug dose-response and cardiotoxicity studies (n=50–500). Cardiac Myocyte Intracellular Calcium Regulation: Myocytes loaded with CalRed AM are used to quantify intracellular calcium regulation, assessing effects of disease, drugs, agonists, or gene therapies. New Service: We now offer overnight incubation of cardiac slices! This assay is used for assessing effects of disease, drugs, agonists, or gene therapies over longer periods of time.