Automated Assessment of the Control of Synchronization of Ca and Nitric Oxide Oscillations in Non-Excitable Cells

Periodic changes of intracellular mediators concentration play a key role in the functioning of both electrically excitable and non-excitable cells. In particular, fluctuations in calcium and nitric oxide in microvascular cells are important for their functioning, and changes in these mediators are associated with pathological conditions. However, the characteristics of calcium and nitric oxide fluctuation synchronization in non-excitable cells have been little studied. The main reason for this is the lack of an adequate research method. In this study, we successfully adapted the method of polyspectral analysis for the quantitative assessment of the synchronization of calcium and NO oscillations in non-excitable cells using microvascular cells as an example. The polyspectral analysis method allows us to accurately assess the proportion of cells with synchronized calcium and NO oscillations, the strength of synchronization, the direction of transmission of the synchronizing frequency from cell to cell, and which mediators are involved in the transmission of this frequency. In addition, stress factors (heating, excess glucose) alter the number of synchronized cells, the distribution of synchronized oscillations by frequency and amplitude, and the direction of transmission of the synchronizing frequency from cell to cell. We believe that the data obtained can be used in personalised medicine and other fields.