Figure 1.

Stiff substrate enhances L-type Ca²⁺ channel currents in ventricular myocytes. (A) Representative whole-cell recordings of Ba²⁺ currents from ventricular myocytes cultured on the soft and stiff substrates. (B) Mean I-V relationship from 10 cells in three preparations for each case. (C) Representative whole-cell recordings of Ca²⁺ currents from cells cultured on the soft and stiff substrates. (D) Mean I-V relationships from nine cells in three preparations for each case. (E) Voltage dependence of channel activation determined with the tail currents from 10 cells. (F) Voltage dependence of channel inactivation from 12 cells in three preparations cultured on the soft and stiff substrates. (G) Representative western blots showing the protein expression of Ca²⁺ channel α-subunits in cells on the soft and stiff substrates. (H) Summary of the mean data from four independent experiments. ^∗p < 0.05, comparison the current density at the same voltage. NS, no significant difference.