Intracellular Calcium Transient Analysis In Cultured Neuron: A Biophysical Approach

Abstract

The calcium ion is an important regulator of the different intracellular mechanisms. A transient change of intracellular calcium concentration is a common phenomenon of living cells. Intracellular changes of different biochemical components have a close association with the activities of the cell. The internal energy of a cell plays an active role in the intracellular level of different biochemical constituents. Energy utilization of a cell has a correlation with the alteration of different biochemical components and the correlation can be explained with the different mathematical models. The present experiment has been designed to develop a mathematical model to explain the intracellular calcium level under different conditions. The experiment is conducted in cultured neurons of hippocampal cells. Intracellular calcium transient is studied using fluorescence dye Fluo 3. Fluorescence intensity emitted from different cells was recorded in live-cell imaging devices. Mathematical analysis is done using GraphPad statistical and graph curve expert software.  The experimental finding reveals that the changes in intracellular calcium follow the energy equation of physical law.  Graphical study of the intracellular calcium transient propagation showed that the intracellular calcium transient follows the linear spline graph of a linear equation. The value obtained in the non-stimulated condition follows the regression line while in the depolarized state the curve is in interpolated form. From the above experimental findings, the intracellular calcium transient of a cell can be predicted after a certain time period.