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The Laboratory of
Muscle Cell Function analyses heart and skeletal muscle function
both in health and disease. Our main approach has been to isolate
single cells (ventricular muscle, skeletal muscle, pacemaker
cells) and use fluorescent indicators to measure key intracellular
ionic concentrations, for instance Ca2+, Na+
and pH together with indicators of function, such as force,
shortening or electrical activity. Increasingly we use Western
blotting, immunohistochemistry and expression systems to identify
and localize proteins in the cells under study. We also perform
some whole animals studies, for instance running mice on
treadmills and running wheels, to understand how exercise modifies
muscle behaviour and how drugs modify disease processes.
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