title: Towards a computational reconstruction of the electrodynamics of premature and full term human labour.
abstract: We apply virtual tissue engineering to the full term human uterus with a view to reconstruction of the spatiotemporal patterns of electrical activity of the myometrium that control mechanical activity via intracellular calcium. The three-dimensional geometry of the gravid uterus has been reconstructed from segmented in vivo magnetic resonance imaging as well as ex vivo diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging to resolve fine scale tissue architecture. A late-pregnancy uterine smooth muscle cell model is constructed and bursting analysed using continuation algorithms. These cell models are incorporated into partial differential equation models for tissue synchronisation and propagation. The ultimate objective is to develop a quantitative and predictive understanding of the mechanisms that initiate and regulate labour.
authors.affiliation: Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M139PL, UK.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aslanidi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atia
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Blanks
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goryanin
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hayes-Gill
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shmygol
authors.forename: N A B
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Taggart
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047929:Term Birth / Q000502:physiology*