title: Myocardial Telocytes: A New Player in Electric Circuitry of the Heart.
abstract: The heart is an electrically conducting organ with networked bioelectric currents that transverse a large segment of interstitial space interspersed with the muscular parenchyma. Non-excitable connective cells in the interstitial space contributed importantly to many structural, biochemical, and physiological activities of cardiac homeostasis. However, contribution of interstitial cells in the cardiac niche has long been neglected. Telocyte is recently recognized as a distinct class of interstitial cell that resides in a wide array of tissues including in the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium of the heart. They are increasingly described to conduct ionic currents that may have significant implications in bioelectric signaling. In this review, we highlight the significance of telocytes in such connectivity and conductivity within the interstitial bioelectric network in tissue homeostasis.
authors: National Heart Research Institute Singapore, 5 Hospital Drive, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169609, Singapore. winston.shim.s.n@nhcs.com.sg.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore. winston.shim.s.n@nhcs.com.sg.
authors: Winston
authors: W
authors: Shim
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004699:Endocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010496:Pericardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000067170:Telocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015415:Biomarkers; C494841:KCNMA1 protein, human; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta
keywords: Bioelectric coupling; Cardiac telocytes; Interstitial cells; Ion channels