Multiscale modeling of calcium dynamics in ventricular myocytes with realistic transverse tubules

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2011 Oct;58(10):2947-51. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2011.2158316. Epub 2011 May 31.

Abstract

Spatial-temporal Ca(2+) dynamics due to Ca(2+) release, buffering, and reuptaking plays a central role in studying excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in both normal and diseased cardiac myocytes. In this paper, we employ two numerical methods, namely, the meshless method and the finite element method, to model such Ca(2+) behaviors by solving a nonlinear system of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations at two scales. In particular, a subcellular model containing several realistic transverse tubules (or t-tubules) is investigated and assumed to reside at different locations relative to the cell membrane. To this end, the Ca(2+) concentration calculated from the whole-cell modeling is adopted as part of the boundary constraint in the subcellular model. The preliminary simulations show that Ca(2+) concentration changes in ventricular myocytes are mainly influenced by calcium release from t-tubules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Signaling*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • Mice
  • Models, Biological*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
  • Sarcolemma / metabolism*
  • Sarcolemma / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Calcium