Optical control of cardiac cell excitability based on two-photon infrared absorption of AzoTAB

Recent studies of AzoTAB activity in excitable cell cultures have shown that this substance is able to control excitability depending on isomer, cis or trans, predominating in the cellular membrane. Control of isomerization can be performed noninvasively by UV-visual radiation. At the same time it is well-known that azobenezenes can be effectively transformed from one isomer into another by two-photon absorption. Current work is devoted to the study of trans-AzoTAB two-photon transformation in aqueous solution and inside primal neonatal contractive rat cardiomyocytes. In accordance with results obtained Azo-TAB can be used as a probe for two-photon optical control of cardiac excitability.