Monitoring BNP Expression and Cell Size to Determine Hypertrophic Response in Human Cardiomyocytes

Cardiac hypertrophy is a condition associated with a number of heart diseases characterized by different cellular changes. One of the most recognized biomarkers for hypertrophy is B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which is over produced in hypertrophic cardiac cells. In this application note, a study is presented in which human cardiomyocytes were used in an in vitro assay to illustrate detection of hypertrophy via increases in cell size and elevated levels of BNP. The effectiveness of compounds for reducing hypertrophy was quantified using the automated ImageXpress® Micro High-Content Screening System and MetaXpress® Software to measure BNP expression and cell area.