Abstract 158: Ultrasound-Induced Inhibition and Modulation of Neonatal Ventricular Cardiomyocyte Depolarization

Background: Ultrasound can interact with tissue through either thermal or non-thermal physical mechanisms. Radiation force has been shown to stimulate cardiac and neural tissue in vivo. Ultrasound might hold clinical potential as a noninvasive therapeutic tool via specific bioeffects on cardiomyocytes. This study aims to assess the effect of ultrasound on cardiomyocyte depolarization in a tissue culture model. Methods: Cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal rat ventricular tissue and plated directly on microelectrode arrays to record depolarization patterns. A custom 2.5 MHz unfocused ultrasound transducer was directed at the cardiomyocytes in a tissue culture model. A function generator, with an amplified signal +50 dB, delivered acoustic energy at variable settings of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 Vpp, pulse durations of 2, 5 and 10 ms, and burst periods of 100, 250 and 300 ms. Five trials were conducted at each setting (36 total trials) with 30s of continuous ultrasound exposure followed by an off interval...