Mechanically induced potentials in fibroblasts from human right atrium.

It has been shown that cardiac fibroblasts of the human heart are electrically non-excitable and mechanosensitive. The resting membrane potential of these cells is -15.9+/-2.1 mV and the membrane resistance is 4.1+/-0.1 G[Omega]. Rhythmic contractions of the myocardium associated with stretch of the surrounding tissue produce reversible changes in the membrane potential of cardiac fibroblasts. These mechanically induced potentials (MIPs) follow the rhythm of myocardial contractions. Simultaneous recording of the action potential of cardiomyocytes and MIPs of cardiac fibroblasts demonstrates a delay of 40.0+/-0.4 ms after the action potential before the appearance of the MIP. Contraction produces a MIP which is more positive or more negative than the reversal potential - the membrane potential due to current injection at which the MIP reverses its direction. Regardless of the initial orientation of the MIP, intracellular polarization increases the amplitude towards the reversal potential if the background MIP had depolarized the membrane or away from the reversal potential if the initial background MIP had hyperpolarized the membrane. Artificial intracellular polarization changed the amplitude but not the frequency of the MIP. The pool of electrically non-excitable mechanosensitive cells, which change their electrical activity during contraction and relaxation of the heart, may play a role in the mechano-electrical feedback mechanism which has to be taken into account in the normal function of the heart as well as in pathological processes.