title: [The use of lasers in the study of cardiac mechanics].
abstract: Cardiac and skeletal muscles exhibit regularly spaced light and dark transverse striations (the I and A bands respectively). Consequently, when they are illuminated by a laser beam, they behave like diffraction gratings. The diffraction line spacing varies inversely with the sarcomere length. Real-time kinetics of sarcomere can be measured with a high accuracy. The analysis of the diffraction pattern indicates a high degree of synchronization of sarcomere movements (contraction and relaxation). This technique represents a powerful method to analyse the mechanical behaviour of heart muscle at subcellular level.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000502:physiology*; D012518:Sarcomeres / Q000502:physiology*
vernacular_title: Apport du laser à l'étude de la mécanique cardiaque.