Cardiac excitation: an interactive process of ion channels and gap junctions.
Theoretical simulations were performed to study the interplay between membrane ionic currents and gap-junction coupling in determining cardiac conduction. Results demonstrate that a much slower conduction velocity can be achieved with reduced gap-junction coupling than with reduced membrane excitability. Also, uniform reduction in intercellular coupling increases spatial asymmetries of excitability and, consequently, the vulnerability to unidirectional block.
Rudy
Y
Y
Cardiac Bioelectricity Research and Training Center (CBRTC), Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-7207, USA.
Shaw
R M
RM
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*
D007473:Ion Channels