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Mathematical modeling of electrical activity of uterine muscle cells

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Abstract

The uterine electrical activity is an efficient parameter to study the uterine contractility. In order to understand the ionic mechanisms responsible for its generation, we aimed at building a mathematical model of the uterine cell electrical activity based upon the physiological mechanisms. First, based on the voltage clamp experiments found in the literature, we focus on the principal ionic channels and their cognate currents involved in the generation of this electrical activity. Second, we provide the methodology of formulations of uterine ionic currents derived from a wide range of electrophysiological data. The model is validated step by step by comparing simulated voltage-clamp results with the experimental ones. The model reproduces successfully the generation of single spikes or trains of action potentials that fit with the experimental data. It allows analyzing ionic channels implications. Likewise, the calcium-dependent conductance influences significantly the cellular oscillatory behavior.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant “Pôle GBM Périnatalité-Enfance” of the Picardy Region, France. It has been communicated and poster presented in proceedings of the third European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference, EMBC, held in Prague in November 2005.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS, UMR 6600 Biomécanique et Bio-ingénierie, 60200, Compiègne, France

    Sandy Rihana & Catherine Marque

  2. School of Science and Engineering, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Jeremy Terrien

  3. INRA, UMR 1198 Biologie du développement et reproduction, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France

    Guy Germain

  4. ENVA, UMR 1198 Biologie du développement et reproduction, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France

    Guy Germain

  5. CNRS, FRE 2857, 78350, Jouy en Josas, France

    Guy Germain

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  1. Sandy Rihana
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  2. Jeremy Terrien
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  4. Catherine Marque
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Correspondence to Sandy Rihana.

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Rihana, S., Terrien, J., Germain, G. et al. Mathematical modeling of electrical activity of uterine muscle cells. Med Biol Eng Comput 47, 665–675 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-009-0433-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-009-0433-4

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