title: A two dimension model of the uterine electrical wave propagation.
abstract: The uterus, usually quiescent during pregnancy, exhibits forceful contractions at term leading to delivery. These contractions are caused by the synchronized propagation of electrical waves from the pacemaker cells to its neighbors inducing the whole coordinated contraction of the uterus wall leading to labor. In a previous work, we simulate the electrical activity of a single uterine cell by a set of ordinary differential equations. Then, this model has been used to simulate the electrical activity propagation. In the present work, the uterine cell tissue is assumed to have uniform and isotropic propagation, and constant electrical membrane properties. The stability of the numerical solution imposes the choice of a critical temporal step. A wave starts at a pacemaker cell; this electrical activity is initiated by the injection of an external stimulation current to the cell membrane. We observe synchronous wave propagation for axial resistance values around 0.5 GOmega or less and propoagation blocking for values greater than 0.7 GOmega. We compute the conduction velocity of the excitation, for different axial resistance values, and obtain a velocity about 10 cm/sec, approaching the one described by the literature for the rat at end of term.
authors.affiliation: Université de Technologie de Compiègne - CNRS UMR 6600 Biomécanique et Génie Biomédical, F60205 Compiégne Cedex, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rihana
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lefrançois
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marque
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology*