scholarly journals Non-ohmic tissue conduction in cardiac electrophysiology: upscaling the non-linear voltage-dependent conductance of gap junctions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Hurtado ◽  
Javiera Jilberto ◽  
Grigory Panasenko
Keyword(s):  
Computational Complexity ◽  
Gap Junctions ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
Cardiac Conduction ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Junctional Coupling ◽  
Organ Level ◽  
Electrical Propagation

AbstractGap junctions are key mediators of the intercellular communication in cardiac tissue, and their function is vital to sustain normal cardiac electrical activity. Conduction through gap junctions strongly depends on the hemichannel arrangement and transjunctional voltage, rendering the intercellular conductance highly non-Ohmic. Despite this marked non-linear behavior, current tissue-level models of cardiac conduction are rooted on the assumption that gap-junctions conductance is constant (Ohmic), which results in inaccurate predictions of electrical propagation, particularly in the low junctional-coupling regime observed under pathological conditions. In this work, we present a novel non-Ohmic multiscale (NOM) model of cardiac conduction that is suitable for tissue-level simulations. Using non-linear homogenization theory, we develop a conductivity model that seamlessly upscales the voltage-dependent conductance of gap junctions, without the need of explicitly modeling gap junctions. The NOM model allows for the simulation of electrical propagation in tissue-level cardiac domains that accurately resemble that of cell-based microscopic models for a wide range of junctional coupling scenarios, recovering key conduction features at a fraction of the computational complexity. A unique feature of the NOM model is the possibility of upscaling the response of non-symmetric gap-junction conductance distributions, which result in conduction velocities that strongly depend on the direction of propagation, thus allowing to model the normal and retrograde conduction observed in certain regions of the heart. We envision that the NOM model will enable organ-level simulations that are informed by sub- and inter-cellular mechanisms, delivering an accurate and predictive in-silico tool for understanding the heart function.Author summaryThe heart relies on the propagation of electrical impulses that are mediated gap junctions, whose conduction properties vary depending on the transjunctional voltage. Despite this non-linear feature, current mathematical models assume that cardiac tissue behaves like an Ohmic (linear) material, thus delivering inaccurate results when simulated in a computer. Here we present a novel mathematical multiscale model that explicitly includes the non-Ohmic response of gap junctions in its predictions. Our results show that the proposed model recovers important conduction features modulated by gap junctions at a fraction of the computational complexity. This contribution represents an important step towards constructing computer models of a whole heart that can predict organ-level behavior in reasonable computing times.

scholarly journals Computational Approaches to Understanding the Role of Fibroblast-Myocyte Interactions in Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tashalee R. Brown ◽  
Trine Krogh-Madsen ◽  
David J. Christini
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junctions ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Cardiac Fibroblasts ◽  
Cardiac Arrhythmogenesis ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Slow Propagation

The adult heart is composed of a dense network of cardiomyocytes surrounded by nonmyocytes, the most abundant of which are cardiac fibroblasts. Several cardiac diseases, such as myocardial infarction or dilated cardiomyopathy, are associated with an increased density of fibroblasts, that is, fibrosis. Fibroblasts play a significant role in the development of electrical and mechanical dysfunction of the heart; however the underlying mechanisms are only partially understood. One widely studied mechanism suggests that fibroblasts produce excess extracellular matrix, resulting in collagenous septa. These collagenous septa slow propagation, cause zig-zag conduction paths, and decouple cardiomyocytes resulting in a substrate for arrhythmia. Another emerging mechanism suggests that fibroblasts promote arrhythmogenesis through direct electrical interactions with cardiomyocytes via gap junctions. Due to the challenges of investigating fibroblast-myocyte coupling in native cardiac tissue, computational modeling andin vitroexperiments have facilitated the investigation into the mechanisms underlying fibroblast-mediated changes in cardiomyocyte action potential morphology, conduction velocity, spontaneous excitability, and vulnerability to reentry. In this paper, we summarize the major findings of the existing computational studies investigating the implications of fibroblast-myocyte interactions in the normal and diseased heart. We then present investigations from our group into the potential role of voltage-dependent gap junctions in fibroblast-myocyte interactions.

A COMPLEX ORDER MODEL OF ATRIAL ELECTRICAL PROPAGATION FROM FRACTAL POROUS CELL MEMBRANE

Fractals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (06) ◽  
pp. 2050106 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUAN P. UGARTE ◽  
CATALINA TOBÓN ◽  
ANTÓNIO M. LOPES ◽  
J. A. TENREIRO MACHADO
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Structural Properties ◽  
Imaginary Part ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Persistent Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Cardiac Conduction ◽  
Related Equation ◽  
Electrophysiological Properties ◽  
Complex Order ◽  
Electrical Propagation

Cardiac tissue is characterized by structural and cellular heterogeneities that play an important role in the cardiac conduction system. Under persistent atrial fibrillation (persAF), electrical and structural remodeling occur simultaneously. The classical mathematical models of cardiac electrophysiological showed remarkable progress during recent years. Among those models, it is of relevance the standard diffusion mathematical equation, that considers the myocardium as a continuum. However, the modeling of structural properties and their influence on electrical propagation still reveal several limitations. In this paper, a model of cardiac electrical propagation is proposed based on complex order derivatives. By assuming that the myocardium has an underlying fractal process, the complex order dynamics emerges as an important modeling option. In this perspective, the real part of the order corresponds to the fractal dimension, while the imaginary part represents the log-periodic corrections of the fractal dimension. Indeed, the imaginary part in the derivative implies characteristic scales within the cardiac tissue. The analytical and numerical procedures for solving the related equation are presented. The sinus rhythm and persAF conditions are implemented using the Courtemanche formalism. The electrophysiological properties are measured and analyzed on different scales of observation. The results indicate that the complex order modulates the electrophysiology of the atrial system, through the variation of its real and imaginary parts. The combined effect of the two components yields a broad range of electrophysiological conditions. Therefore, the proposed model can be a useful tool for modeling electrical and structural properties during cardiac conduction.

scholarly journals Intercalated Disk Nanoscale Structure Regulates Cardiac Conduction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolae Moise ◽  
Heather L. Struckman ◽  
Celine Dagher ◽  
Rengasayee Veeraraghavan ◽  
Seth H. Weinberg
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Cardiac Conduction ◽  
Junctional Coupling ◽  
Nanoscale Structure ◽  
Gap Junctional ◽  
Gap Junctional Coupling ◽  
Intercalated Disk

AbstractThe intercalated disk (ID) is a specialized subcellular region that provides electrical and mechanical connections between myocytes in the heart. The ID has a clearly defined passive role in cardiac tissue, transmitting mechanical forces and electrical currents between cells. Recent studies have shown that Na+ channels, the primary current responsible for cardiac excitation, are preferentially localized at the ID, particularly within nanodomains around mechanical and gap junctions, and that perturbations of ID structure alter cardiac conduction. This suggests that the ID may play an important, active role in regulating conduction. However, the structure of the ID and intercellular cleft are not well characterized, and to date, no models have incorporated the influence of ID structure on conduction in cardiac tissue. In this study, we developed an approach to generate realistic finite element model (FEM) meshes replicating ID nanoscale structure, based on experimental measurements from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. We then integrated measurements of the intercellular cleft electrical conductivity, derived from the FEM meshes, into a novel cardiac tissue model formulation. FEM-based calculations predict that the distribution of cleft conductances are sensitive to regional changes in ID structure, specifically the intermembrane separation and gap junction distribution. Tissue-scale simulations demonstrated that ID structural heterogeneity leads to significant spatial variation in electrical polarization within the intercellular cleft. Importantly, we find that this heterogeneous cleft polarization regulates conduction by desynchronizing the activation of post-junctional Na+ currents. Additionally, these heterogeneities lead to a weaker dependence of conduction velocity on gap junctional coupling, compared with prior modeling formulations that neglect or simplify ID structure. Further, we find that disruption of local ID nanodomains can lead to either conduction slowing or enhancing, depending on gap junctional coupling strength. Overall, our study demonstrates that ID nanoscale structure can play a significant role in regulating cardiac conduction.

scholarly journals Intercalated disk nanoscale structure regulates cardiac conduction

2021 ◽  
Vol 153 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolae Moise ◽  
Heather L. Struckman ◽  
Celine Dagher ◽  
Rengasayee Veeraraghavan ◽  
Seth H. Weinberg
Keyword(s):  
Gap Junction ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Cardiac Conduction ◽  
Junctional Coupling ◽  
Nanoscale Structure ◽  
Gap Junctional ◽  
Gap Junctional Coupling ◽  
Intercalated Disk

The intercalated disk (ID) is a specialized subcellular region that provides electrical and mechanical connections between myocytes in the heart. The ID has a clearly defined passive role in cardiac tissue, transmitting mechanical forces and electrical currents between cells. Recent studies have shown that Na+ channels, the primary current responsible for cardiac excitation, are preferentially localized at the ID, particularly within nanodomains such as the gap junction–adjacent perinexus and mechanical junction–associated adhesion-excitability nodes, and that perturbations of ID structure alter cardiac conduction. This suggests that the ID may play an important, active role in regulating conduction. However, the structures of the ID and intercellular cleft are not well characterized and, to date, no models have incorporated the influence of ID structure on conduction in cardiac tissue. In this study, we developed an approach to generate realistic finite element model (FEM) meshes replicating nanoscale of the ID structure, based on experimental measurements from transmission electron microscopy images. We then integrated measurements of the intercellular cleft electrical conductivity, derived from the FEM meshes, into a novel cardiac tissue model formulation. FEM-based calculations predict that the distribution of cleft conductances is sensitive to regional changes in ID structure, specifically the intermembrane separation and gap junction distribution. Tissue-scale simulations predict that ID structural heterogeneity leads to significant spatial variation in electrical polarization within the intercellular cleft. Importantly, we found that this heterogeneous cleft polarization regulates conduction by desynchronizing the activation of postjunctional Na+ currents. Additionally, these heterogeneities lead to a weaker dependence of conduction velocity on gap junctional coupling, compared with prior modeling formulations that neglect or simplify ID structure. Further, we found that disruption of local ID nanodomains can either slow or enhance conduction, depending on gap junctional coupling strength. Our study therefore suggests that ID nanoscale structure can play a significant role in regulating cardiac conduction.

scholarly journals Assembly of the Cardiac Pacemaking Complex: Electrogenic Principles of Sinoatrial Node Morphogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Marietta Easterling ◽  
Simone Rossi ◽  
Anthony J Mazzella ◽  
Michael Bressan
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Sinoatrial Node ◽  
Cardiac Pacemaker ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
Rhythmic Contraction ◽  
Entire Volume ◽  
Impulse Generation ◽  
Cardiac Pacemaking ◽  
Electrical Impulses ◽  
Sufficient Strength

Cardiac pacemaker cells located in the sinoatrial node initiate the electrical impulses that drive rhythmic contraction of the heart. The sinoatrial node accounts for only a small proportion of the total mass of the heart yet must produce a stimulus of sufficient strength to stimulate the entire volume of downstream cardiac tissue. This requires balancing a delicate set of electrical interactions both within the sinoatrial node and with the downstream working myocardium. Understanding the fundamental features of these interactions is critical for defining vulnerabilities that arise in human arrhythmic disease and may provide insight towards the design and implementation of the next generation of potential cellular-based cardiac therapeutics. Here, we discuss physiological conditions that influence electrical impulse generation and propagation in the sinoatrial node and describe developmental events that construct the tissue-level architecture that appears necessary for sinoatrial node function.

scholarly journals Fractional diffusion models of cardiac electrical propagation: role of structural heterogeneity in dispersion of repolarization

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (97) ◽  
pp. 20140352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Bueno-Orovio ◽  
David Kay ◽  
Vicente Grau ◽  
Blanca Rodriguez ◽  
Kevin Burrage
Keyword(s):  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Biological Tissues ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
Fractional Diffusion ◽  
Diffusion Models ◽  
Excitable Media ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Dispersion Of Repolarization ◽  
Electrical Propagation

Impulse propagation in biological tissues is known to be modulated by structural heterogeneity. In cardiac muscle, improved understanding on how this heterogeneity influences electrical spread is key to advancing our interpretation of dispersion of repolarization. We propose fractional diffusion models as a novel mathematical description of structurally heterogeneous excitable media, as a means of representing the modulation of the total electric field by the secondary electrical sources associated with tissue inhomogeneities. Our results, analysed against in vivo human recordings and experimental data of different animal species, indicate that structural heterogeneity underlies relevant characteristics of cardiac electrical propagation at tissue level. These include conduction effects on action potential (AP) morphology, the shortening of AP duration along the activation pathway and the progressive modulation by premature beats of spatial patterns of dispersion of repolarization. The proposed approach may also have important implications in other research fields involving excitable complex media.

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