title: Quantitative cellular description of gastric slow wave activity.
abstract: Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are responsible for the spontaneous and omnipresent electrical activity in the stomach. A quantitative description of the intracellular processes whose coordinated activity is believed to generate electrical slow waves has been developed and is presented here. In line with recent experimental evidence, the model describes how the interplay between the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum in cycling intracellular Ca(2+) provides the primary regulatory signal for the initiation of the slow wave. The major ion channels that have been identified as influencing slow wave activity have been modeled according to data obtained from isolated ICC. The model has been validated by comparing the simulated profile of the slow waves with experimental recordings and shows good correspondence in terms of frequency, amplitude, and shape in both control and pharmacologically altered conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioengineering, National Univ. of Singapore, 9 Engineering Dr. 1, Singapore 117576.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrias
authors.forename: Martin L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Buist
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D013270:Stomach / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018118:Chloride Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels