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Effect of heterogeneities in the cellular microstructure on propagation of the cardiac action potential

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Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias are initiated in regions that undergo cellular remodeling as a result of disease. Using a sub-cellular model of myocardium, we studied the mechanism of block caused by tissue microstructure remodeling: cell geometry [quantified as length/width (L/W) cell ratio] and cell-to-cell coupling (G j ). Heterogeneities in cell L/W ratio and G j lead to block when excitability is reduced and the corresponding space constant λ (in the direction of propagation) increases by >40 %. Tissue architectures with elongated cells (i.e. large cell L/W ratios) that are better coupled (i.e. large G j ) are less prone to block at sites of regional heterogeneities in cell geometry and/or cell coupling than tissue architectures consisting of cells with smaller L/W ratios and/or poorer coupling. Whether an increase in tissue anisotropic ratio (ANR) is arrhythmogenic or not depends on the cellular mechanism of the increase: ANR leads to an increased risk of block when G j decreases, but to a decreased risk of block when cell L/W ratio increases. Our findings are useful to understand the mechanisms of block in cardiac pathologies that result in tissue architecture remodeling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, USA

    Amadou Toure

  2. Department of Computer Systems, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA

    Candido Cabo

  3. Doctoral Programs in Computer Science and Engineering, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, USA

    Candido Cabo

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  1. Amadou Toure
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  2. Candido Cabo
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Correspondence to Candido Cabo.

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Toure, A., Cabo, C. Effect of heterogeneities in the cellular microstructure on propagation of the cardiac action potential. Med Biol Eng Comput 50, 813–825 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-012-0934-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-012-0934-4

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