An improved non-linear thermodynamic model of voltage-dependent ionic currents.
Thermodynamic models of ionic currents are used to deduce exact functional form of rate constant. It is first assumed that free energy depends linearly on voltage. A major criticism of this approach is that time constant can reach arbitrarily small values resulting in an aberrant behavior. Recently, non-linear effects of electric field on the free energy were considered to solve this problem based on T-type calcium channel. In this study, we show that the current model approximately captures the voltage-dependence of the time constant only in a specific range of voltage and does not provide saturation of the time constant outside this range. Then, we propose an improved non-linear thermodynamic model and illustrate its applicability based on T-type calcium channel.
Ozer
Mahmut
M
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, 67100 Zonguldak, Turkey. mahmutozer2002@yahoo.com
D000818:Animals; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors
D007473:Ion Channels