Pharmacoelectrophysiology of Viral-Free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Human Cardiomyocytes

Development of pharmaceutical agents for cardiac indication demands elaborate safety screening in which assessing repolarization of cardiac cells remains a critical path in risk evaluations. An efficient platform for evaluating cardiac repolarization in vitro significantly facilitates drug developmental programs. In a proof of principle study, we examined the effect of antiarrhythmogenic drugs (Vaughan Williams class I-IV) and noncardiac active drugs (terfenadine and cisapride) on the repolarization profile of viral-free human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Extracellular field potential (FP) recording using microelectrode arrays demonstrated significant delayed repolarization as prolonged corrected FP durations (cFPDs) by class I (quinidine and flecainide), class III (sotalol and amiodarone), and class IV (verapamil), whereas class II drugs (propranolol and nadolol) had no effects. Consistent with their sodium channel-blocking ability, class I drugs also significantly reduced FPmin and conduction velocity. Although lidocaine (class IB) had no effects on cFPDs, verapamil shortened cFPD and FPmin by 25 and 50%, respectively. Furthermore, verapamil reduced beating frequencies drastically. Importantly, the examined drugs exhibited dose-response curve on prolongation of cFPDs at an effective range that correlated significantly with therapeutic plasma concentrations achieved clinically. Consistent with clinical outcomes, drug-induced arrhythmia of tachycardia and bigeminy-like waveforms by quinidine, flecainide, and sotalol was demonstrated at supraphysiological concentrations. Furthermore, off-target effects of terfenadine and cisapride on cFPD and Na( + ) channel blockage were similarly revealed. These results suggest that hiPSC-CMs may be useful for safety evaluation of cardioactive and noncardiac acting drugs for personalized medicine.