Key result
Crude oil exposure prolonged the action potential and disrupted excitation-contraction coupling in isolated tuna cardiomyocytes by blocking potassium and calcium currents.
Why the study?
Does crude oil exposure impair cardiac excitation-contraction coupling in isolated fish cardiomyocytes?
Does crude oil exposure impair cardiac excitation-contraction coupling in isolated fish cardiomyocytes?
Crude oil exposure disrupts cardiac excitation-contraction coupling in fish cardiomyocytes by blocking potassium and calcium currents, suggesting a mechanism for life-threatening arrhythmias.
Suggests oil-induced arrhythmia mechanism in fish; leaves open relevance to mammalian or human cardiomyocytes.
Crude oil is known to disrupt cardiac function in fish embryos. Large oil spills, such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster that occurred in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, could severely affect fish at impacted spawning sites. The physiological mechanisms underlying such potential cardiotoxic effects remain unclear. Here, we show that crude oil samples collected from the DWH spill prolonged the action potential of isolated cardiomyocytes from juvenile bluefin and yellowfin tunas, through the blocking of the delayed rectifier potassium current (I(Kr)). Crude oil exposure also decreased calcium current (I(Ca)) and calcium cycling, which disrupted excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes. Our findings demonstrate a cardiotoxic mechanism by which crude oil affects the regulation of cellular excitability, with implications for life-threatening arrhythmias in vertebrates.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Brette et al. (2014) studied this question. Crude oil exposure was evaluated on Action potential duration, delayed rectifier potassium current (I(Kr)), calcium current (I(Ca)), and calcium cycling. Crude oil exposure prolonged the action potential and disrupted excitation-contraction coupling in isolated tuna cardiomyocytes by blocking potassium and calcium currents.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: