title: Regulation of contraction in heart muscle. A Ca2+ gradient model for the Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)-release of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
abstract: The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in heart muscle releases a large amount of Ca2+ in response to a small amount of trigger Ca2+ by the mechanism of the Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)-release. A model was presented for the regulation of the SR Ca2+ release based on the assumptions that a Ca2+ gradient is formed from the level of Z-line toward the center of the cytoplasm as a result of continuous release of Ca2+ from the SR and that the volume of SR is quite small compared with the cytoplasmic volume. Numerical simulations showed that the amount of the SR Ca2+ release was dependent both on the initial SR Ca2+ content and the transsarcolemmal Ca2+ current. This interprets the effects of beat frequency and external [Ca2+] on twitch contractions in intact heart muscle. The present Ca2+ gradient model predicted that the reduction of the transsarcolemmal Ca2+ current alters the relation between the rate of rise and the peak of the cytoplasmic [Ca2+] in a twitch in such a way that lower the Ca2+ current, smaller the rate of rise of the cytoplasmic [Ca2+] at a given level of the peak cytoplasmic [Ca2+]. Measurements of the relations between the rate of rise and the peak of twitch force in rat papillary muscles and between the rate of rise and the peak of cytoplasmic [Ca2+] examined using fluo-3 in rat single heart myocytes were compatible with the prediction of the present model. Thus the model interpreted some important features in the regulation of the heart muscle contraction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, St. Marianna University, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tameyasu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017136:Ion Transport / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium