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Fig. 1 APs and Ca²⁺ transients recorded in diseased human cardiac cells. (A) Graph shows representative APs recorded in two different single ventricular cells. Stimulation frequency was 0.5 Hz. AP duration in myocytes from patients with heart failure (dilated cardiomyopathy) was significantly prolonged (AP₉₀ 1,038±223 msec; n=7) as compared to controls (649±101 msec; n=4). (B) Graph shows representative [Ca²⁺]_i transients of two different ventricular cells loaded with Ca²⁺ indicator fura-2 during external stimulation at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. Resting [Ca²⁺]_i were significantly higher in the myopathic cells compared to the control cell (165±61 nmol/l, n=31 vs. 96±47 nmol/l, n=8). In contrast, the peak [Ca²⁺]_i was lower (367±109 nmol/l vs. 746±249 nmol/l) and the decline of [Ca²⁺]_i was slower (t_1/2 692±166 msec vs. 320±68 msec). Temperature was 35°C. (Data in panel A and panel B and numbers were taken from [7]with permission).