title: Stochastic simulation of cardiac ventricular myocyte calcium dynamics and waves.
abstract: A three dimensional model of calcium dynamics in the rat ventricular myocyte was developed to study the mechanism of calcium homeostasis and pathological calcium dynamics during calcium overload. The model contains 20,000 calcium release units (CRUs) each containing 49 ryanodine receptors. The model simulates calcium sparks with a realistic spontaneous calcium spark rate. It suggests that in addition to the calcium spark-based leak, there is an invisible calcium leak caused by the stochastic opening of a small number of ryanodine receptors in each CRU without triggering a calcium spark. The model also explores the mechanism of calcium wave propagation between release sites under the conditions of calcium overload.
authors.affiliation: School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.thoangtr@gmu.edu
authors.forename: Hoang-Trong Minh
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Tuan
authors.forename: George S B
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Aristide C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chikando
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sobie
authors.forename: W Jonathan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lederer
authors.forename: M Saleet
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jafri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D051381:Rats; D013269:Stochastic Processes
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium