Effect of Hypergravity on Transcriptomic and Electrophysiological Properties of Rat Ventricular Cardiomyocytes

This study investigates the impact of hypergravity (4g for 14 days) on the transcriptomic and electrophysiological profiles of rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Using RNA sequencing, we identified significant changes in the expression of mechanically gated and mechanosensitive ion channel genes. Electrophysiological analyses revealed increased sensitivity of stretch-activated currents (ISAC) to mechanical stimuli in hypergravity-exposed cardiomyocytes. These findings highlight how altered gravitational conditions modulate cardiac cellular responses, with implications for understanding mechanoelectric feedback in both physiological and extreme environments. Male Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were divided into two groups: hypergravity-exposed and control. The hypergravity group was subjected to 4g centrifugal force for 14 days (8 hours/day). Ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated from both groups for RNA sequencing and electrophysiological analysis. RNA-Seq was performed to profile transcript levels of ion channels, while patch-clamp techniques assessed the sensitivity of stretch-activated currents (ISAC) to mechanical deformation. Data include raw RNA-Seq files and processed expression values for mechanically sensitive ion channels.