The intact heart undergoes complex and multiscale mechanical remodeling processes. Measuring rhythmic spatial contraction of the myocardium is crucial for assessing mechanical durability and the ability to mount coordinated responses to pressure, electrical, and hemodynamic signals. However, current cardiomyocyte measurement platforms typically focus on action potentials and XY-plane contractions. Therefore, effective evaluation methods for studying the influence of mechanical cues on the spatial dynamic contraction of cardiomyocytes are still lacking. In this study, we developed a topographic guiding combined with an optical spatial motion tracking method to provide controllable mechanical stimulation for inducing directed contraction of cardiomyocytes and obtaining spatial motion information in vitro. We first performed a detailed investigation of cell connections and cytoskeleton orientations by combining the proposed method with immunofluorescence. Next, spatial constrictive modes, features, and key parameters of microgroove-guided cardiomyocytes were studied. Finally, the three-dimensional (3D) motions of the cardiomyocytes at different positions on the structure were compared. We found that the XY-plane contraction of cardiomyocytes typically has only one direction and shows a significant phase delay compared to the axial motion. In addition, cardiomyocytes located near the edges of the microgrooves were restricted by stronger mechanical forces, resulting in a significant height change reduction. These results provide new perspectives for structural and functional research on cardiomyocytes under long-term mechanical regulation. Overall, this study provides a highly precise and convenient method for evaluating the 3D cardiomyocyte motion under mechanical induction. This method is expected to enhance understanding of cardiomyocyte development and be useful for research on cardiac mechanics and functions.

中文翻译：

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一种新颖的非侵入性方法，用于测量受机械信号调节的心肌细胞的空间运动行为


完整的心脏经历复杂且多尺度的机械重塑过程。测量心肌的节律性空间收缩对于评估机械耐久性以及对压力、电和血流动力学信号进行协调响应的能力至关重要。然而，当前的心肌细胞测量平台通常关注动作电位和 XY 平面收缩。因此，仍然缺乏研究机械信号对心肌细胞空间动态收缩影响的有效评估方法。在本研究中，我们开发了一种结合光学空间运动跟踪方法的地形引导方法，为体外诱导心肌细胞定向收缩并获取空间运动信息提供可控的机械刺激。我们首先通过将所提出的方法与免疫荧光相结合，对细胞连接和细胞骨架方向进行了详细研究。接下来，研究了微纹引导心肌细胞的空间收缩模式、特征和关键参数。最后，比较了结构上不同位置处心肌细胞的三维（3D）运动。我们发现心肌细胞的 XY 平面收缩通常只有一个方向，并且与轴向运动相比显示出显着的相位延迟。此外，位于微纹边缘附近的心肌细胞受到更强的机械力的限制，导致高度变化显着减少。这些结果为长期机械调控下心肌细胞的结构和功能研究提供了新的视角。总体而言，本研究为评估机械诱导下的 3D 心肌细胞运动提供了一种高度精确且方便的方法。 该方法有望增强对心肌细胞发育的了解，并有助于心脏力学和功能的研究。