Background-The sinoatrial node is the main impulse-generating tissue in the heart. Atrioventricular conduction block and arrhythmias caused by sinoatrial node dysfunction are clinically important and generally treated with electronic pacemakers. Although an excellent solution, electronic pacemakers incorporate limitations that have stimulated research on biological pacing. To assess the suitability of potential biological pacemakers, we tested the hypothesis that the spontaneous electric activity of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) exhibit beat rate variability and power-law behavior comparable to those of human sinoatrial node. Methods and Results-We recorded extracellular electrograms from hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs under stable conditions for up to 15 days. The beat rate time series of the spontaneous activity were examined in terms of their power spectral density and additional methods derived from nonlinear dynamics. The major findings were that the mean beat rate of hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs was stable throughout the 15-day follow-up period and was similar in both cell types, that hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs exhibited intrinsic beat rate variability and fractal behavior, and that isoproterenol increased and carbamylcholine decreased the beating rate in both hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs. Conclusions-This is the first study demonstrating that hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs exhibit beat rate variability and power-law behavior as in humans, thus supporting the potential capability of these cell sources to serve as biological pacemakers. Our ability to generate sinoatrial-compatible spontaneous cardiomyocytes from the patient's own hair (via keratinocyte-derived iPSCs), thus eliminating the critical need for immunosuppression, renders these myocytes an attractive cell source as biological pacemakers. (Circulation. 2012;125:883-893.)

Background We previously reported that induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM) manifest beat rate variability (BRV) resembling heart rate variability (HRV) in human sinoatrial node (SAN). We now hypothesized the BRV-HRV continuum originates in pacemaker cells. Objective To investigate whether cellular BRV is a source of HRV dynamics, we hypothesized three-levels of interaction among different cardiomyocyte entities: (1) single pacemaker cells, (2) networks of electrically coupled pacemaker cells and (3) in situ SAN. Methods We measured BRV/HRV properties in single pacemaker cells, iPSC-derived contracting embryoid bodies (EBs) and electrocardiograms from the same individual. Results Pronounced BRV/HRV were present at all three levels. Coefficient of variance (COV) of inter-beat intervals (IBI) and Poincaré plot SD1 and SD2 in single cells were 20x > EBs (P<0.05) and in situ heart (the latter two were similar, P>0.05). We also compared BRV magnitude among single cells, small (~5-10 cells) and larger EBs (>10 cells): BRV indices progressively increased (P<0.05) as cell number decreased. Disrupting intracellular Ca2+ handling markedly augmented BRV magnitude, revealing a unique bi-modal firing pattern, suggesting intracellular mechanisms contribute to BRV/HRV and the fractal behavior of heart rhythm. Conclusions The decreased BRV magnitude in transitioning from single cell to EB suggests HRV of hearts in situ originates from summation and integration of multiple cell-based oscillators. Hence, complex interactions among multiple pacemaker cells and intracellular Ca2+ handling determine HRV in humans and isolated cardiomyocyte networks.

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), a recessive neurodegenerative disorder commonly associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is due to GAA repeat expansions within the first intron of the frataxin (FXN) gene encoding the mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. The triplet codon repeats lead to heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing and loss of frataxin. Nevertheless, inadequacy of existing FRDA-cardiac cellular models limited cardiomyopathy studies. We tested the hypothesis that iron homeostasis deregulation accelerates reduction in energy synthesis dynamics which contributes to impaired cardiac calcium homeostasis and contractile force. Silencing of FXN expressions occurred both in somatic FRDA-skin fibroblasts and two of the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) clones; a sign of stress condition was shown in FRDA-iPSC cardiomyocytes with disorganized mitochondrial network and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion; hypertrophic cardiac stress responses were observed by an increase in α-actinin-positive cell sizes revealed by FACS analysis as well as elevation in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) gene expression; the intracellular iron accumulated in FRDA cardiomyocytes might be due to attenuated negative feedback response of transferring receptor (TSFR) expression and positive feedback response of ferritin (FTH1); energy synthesis dynamics, in terms of ATP production rate, was impaired in FRDA-iPSC cardiomyocytes, which were prone to iron overload condition. Energetic insufficiency determined slower Ca(2+) transients by retarding calcium reuptake to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and impaired the positive inotropic and chronotropic responses to adrenergic stimulation. Our data showed for the first time that FRDA-iPSCs cardiac derivatives represent promising models to study cardiac stress response due to impaired iron homeostasis condition and mitochondrial damages. The cardiomyopathy phenotype was accelerated in an iron-overloaded condition early in calcium homeostasis aspect.