1
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Alvarez JAE, Jafri MS, Ullah A. Local Control Model of a Human Ventricular Myocyte: An Exploration of Frequency-Dependent Changes and Calcium Sparks. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1259. [PMID: 37627324 PMCID: PMC10452762 DOI: 10.3390/biom13081259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) sparks are the elementary events of excitation-contraction coupling, yet they are not explicitly represented in human ventricular myocyte models. A stochastic ventricular cardiomyocyte human model that adapts to intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) dynamics, spark regulation, and frequency-dependent changes in the form of locally controlled Ca2+ release was developed. The 20,000 CRUs in this model are composed of 9 individual LCCs and 49 RyRs that function as couplons. The simulated action potential duration at 1 Hz steady-state pacing is ~0.280 s similar to human ventricular cell recordings. Rate-dependence experiments reveal that APD shortening mechanisms are largely contributed by the L-type calcium channel inactivation, RyR open fraction, and [Ca2+]myo concentrations. The dynamic slow-rapid-slow pacing protocol shows that RyR open probability during high pacing frequency (2.5 Hz) switches to an adapted "nonconducting" form of Ca2+-dependent transition state. The predicted force was also observed to be increased in high pacing, but the SR Ca2+ fractional release was lower due to the smaller difference between diastolic and systolic [Ca2+]SR. Restitution analysis through the S1S2 protocol and increased LCC Ca2+-dependent activation rate show that the duration of LCC opening helps modulate its effects on the APD restitution at different diastolic intervals. Ultimately, a longer duration of calcium sparks was observed in relation to the SR Ca2+ loading at high pacing rates. Overall, this study demonstrates the spontaneous Ca2+ release events and ion channel responses throughout various stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M. Saleet Jafri
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA;
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 20201, USA
| | - Aman Ullah
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA;
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2
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Shafaattalab S, Li AY, Jayousi F, Maaref Y, Dababneh S, Hamledari H, Baygi DH, Barszczewski T, Ruprai B, Jannati S, Nagalingam R, Cool AM, Langa P, Chiao M, Roston T, Solaro RJ, Sanatani S, Toepfer C, Lindert S, Lange P, Tibbits GF. Mechanisms of Pathogenicity of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-Associated Troponin T (TNNT2) Variant R278C +/- During Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.06.542948. [PMID: 37609317 PMCID: PMC10441323 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.06.542948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common heritable cardiovascular diseases and variants of TNNT2 (cardiac troponin T) are linked to increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest despite causing limited hypertrophy. In this study, a TNNT2 variant, R278C+/-, was generated in both human cardiac recombinant/reconstituted thin filaments (hcRTF) and human- induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to investigate the mechanisms by which the R278C+/- variant affects cardiomyocytes at the proteomic and functional levels. The results of proteomics analysis showed a significant upregulation of markers of cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling in R278C+/- vs. the isogenic control. Functional measurements showed that R278C+/- variant enhances the myofilament sensitivity to Ca2+, increases the kinetics of contraction, and causes arrhythmia at frequencies >75 bpm. This study uniquely shows the profound impact of the TNNT2 R278C+/- variant on the cardiomyocyte proteomic profile, cardiac electrical and contractile function in the early stages of cardiac development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Shafaattalab
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Alison Y Li
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Farah Jayousi
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Yasaman Maaref
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Saif Dababneh
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Homa Hamledari
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Dina Hosseini Baygi
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Tiffany Barszczewski
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Balwinder Ruprai
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Shayan Jannati
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Raghu Nagalingam
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Austin M Cool
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Paulina Langa
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Mu Chiao
- Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Thomas Roston
- Division of Cardiology and Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation, The University of British Columbia 1081 Burrard Street, Level 4 Cardiology Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - R John Solaro
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Shubhayan Sanatani
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | | | - Steffen Lindert
- Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Philipp Lange
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Glen F Tibbits
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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3
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Abstract
Cardiac alternans arises from dynamical instabilities in the electrical and calcium cycling systems of the heart, and often precedes ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. In this review, we integrate clinical observations with theory and experiment to paint a holistic portrait of cardiac alternans: the underlying mechanisms, arrhythmic manifestations and electrocardiographic signatures. We first summarize the cellular and tissue mechanisms of alternans that have been demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally, including 3 voltage-driven and 2 calcium-driven alternans mechanisms. Based on experimental and simulation results, we describe their relevance to mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis under different disease conditions, and their link to electrocardiographic characteristics of alternans observed in patients. Our major conclusion is that alternans is not only a predictor, but also a causal mechanism of potentially lethal ventricular and atrial arrhythmias across the full spectrum of arrhythmia mechanisms that culminate in functional reentry, although less important for anatomic reentry and focal arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Departments of Medicine (Cardiology), Physiology, and Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - James N. Weiss
- Departments of Medicine (Cardiology), Physiology, and Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
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4
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Agrawal A, Wang K, Polonchuk L, Cooper J, Hendrix M, Gavaghan DJ, Mirams GR, Clerx M. Models of the cardiac L-type calcium current: A quantitative review. WIREs Mech Dis 2023; 15:e1581. [PMID: 36028219 PMCID: PMC10078428 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The L-type calcium current (I CaL ) plays a critical role in cardiac electrophysiology, and models ofI CaL are vital tools to predict arrhythmogenicity of drugs and mutations. Five decades of measuring and modelingI CaL have resulted in several competing theories (encoded in mathematical equations). However, the introduction of new models has not typically been accompanied by a data-driven critical comparison with previous work, so that it is unclear which model is best suited for any particular application. In this review, we describe and compare 73 published mammalianI CaL models and use simulated experiments to show that there is a large variability in their predictions, which is not substantially diminished when grouping by species or other categories. We provide model code for 60 models, list major data sources, and discuss experimental and modeling work that will be required to reduce this huge list of competing theories and ultimately develop a community consensus model ofI CaL . This article is categorized under: Cardiovascular Diseases > Computational Models Cardiovascular Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Agrawal
- Computational Biology & Health Informatics, Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Ken Wang
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Innovation Center BaselF. Hoffmann‐La Roche Ltd.BaselSwitzerland
| | - Liudmila Polonchuk
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Innovation Center BaselF. Hoffmann‐La Roche Ltd.BaselSwitzerland
| | - Jonathan Cooper
- Centre for Advanced Research ComputingUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Maurice Hendrix
- Centre for Mathematical Medicine & Biology, School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Digital Research Service, Information SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - David J. Gavaghan
- Computational Biology & Health Informatics, Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Gary R. Mirams
- Centre for Mathematical Medicine & Biology, School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Michael Clerx
- Centre for Mathematical Medicine & Biology, School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
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5
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Colman MA, Alvarez-Lacalle E, Echebarria B, Sato D, Sutanto H, Heijman J. Multi-Scale Computational Modeling of Spatial Calcium Handling From Nanodomain to Whole-Heart: Overview and Perspectives. Front Physiol 2022; 13:836622. [PMID: 35370783 PMCID: PMC8964409 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.836622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of intracellular calcium is a critical component of cardiac electrophysiology and excitation-contraction coupling. The calcium spark, the fundamental element of the intracellular calcium transient, is initiated in specialized nanodomains which co-locate the ryanodine receptors and L-type calcium channels. However, calcium homeostasis is ultimately regulated at the cellular scale, by the interaction of spatially separated but diffusively coupled nanodomains with other sub-cellular and surface-membrane calcium transport channels with strong non-linear interactions; and cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms are ultimately tissue-scale phenomena, regulated by the interaction of a heterogeneous population of coupled myocytes. Recent advances in imaging modalities and image-analysis are enabling the super-resolution reconstruction of the structures responsible for regulating calcium homeostasis, including the internal structure of nanodomains themselves. Extrapolating functional and imaging data from the nanodomain to the whole-heart is non-trivial, yet essential for translational insight into disease mechanisms. Computational modeling has important roles to play in relating structural and functional data at the sub-cellular scale and translating data across the scales. This review covers recent methodological advances that enable image-based modeling of the single nanodomain and whole cardiomyocyte, as well as the development of multi-scale simulation approaches to integrate data from nanometer to whole-heart. Firstly, methods to overcome the computational challenges of simulating spatial calcium dynamics in the nanodomain are discussed, including image-based modeling at this scale. Then, recent whole-cell models, capable of capturing a range of different structures (such as the T-system and mitochondria) and cellular heterogeneity/variability are discussed at two different levels of discretization. Novel methods to integrate the models and data across the scales and simulate stochastic dynamics in tissue-scale models are then discussed, enabling elucidation of the mechanisms by which nanodomain remodeling underlies arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction. Perspectives on model differences and future directions are provided throughout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Colman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Michael A. Colman,
| | | | - Blas Echebarria
- Departament de Fisica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daisuke Sato
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Henry Sutanto
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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6
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Shafaattalab S, Li AY, Gunawan MG, Kim B, Jayousi F, Maaref Y, Song Z, Weiss JN, Solaro RJ, Qu Z, Tibbits GF. Mechanisms of Arrhythmogenicity of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-Associated Troponin T ( TNNT2) Variant I79N. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:787581. [PMID: 34977031 PMCID: PMC8718794 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.787581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heritable cardiovascular disease and often results in cardiac remodeling and an increased incidence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and death, especially in youth and young adults. Among thousands of different variants found in HCM patients, variants of TNNT2 (cardiac troponin T—TNNT2) are linked to increased risk of ventricular arrhythmogenesis and sudden death despite causing little to no cardiac hypertrophy. Therefore, studying the effect of TNNT2 variants on cardiac propensity for arrhythmogenesis can pave the way for characterizing HCM in susceptible patients before sudden cardiac arrest occurs. In this study, a TNNT2 variant, I79N, was generated in human cardiac recombinant/reconstituted thin filaments (hcRTF) to investigate the effect of the mutation on myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and Ca2+ dissociation rate using steady-state and stopped-flow fluorescence techniques. The results revealed that the I79N variant significantly increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and decreases the Ca2+ off-rate constant (koff). To investigate further, a heterozygous I79N+/−TNNT2 variant was introduced into human-induced pluripotent stem cells using CRISPR/Cas9 and subsequently differentiated into ventricular cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). To study the arrhythmogenic properties, monolayers of I79N+/− hiPSC-CMs were studied in comparison to their isogenic controls. Arrhythmogenesis was investigated by measuring voltage (Vm) and cytosolic Ca2+ transients over a range of stimulation frequencies. An increasing stimulation frequency was applied to the cells, from 55 to 75 bpm. The results of this protocol showed that the TnT-I79N cells had reduced intracellular Ca2+ transients due to the enhanced cytosolic Ca2+ buffering. These changes in Ca2+ handling resulted in beat-to-beat instability and triangulation of the cardiac action potential, which are predictors of arrhythmia risk. While wild-type (WT) hiPSC-CMs were accurately entrained to frequencies of at least 150 bpm, the I79N hiPSC-CMs demonstrated clear patterns of alternans for both Vm and Ca2+ transients at frequencies >75 bpm. Lastly, a transcriptomic analysis was conducted on WT vs. I79N+/−TNNT2 hiPSC-CMs using a custom NanoString codeset. The results showed a significant upregulation of NPPA (atrial natriuretic peptide), NPPB (brain natriuretic peptide), Notch signaling pathway components, and other extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling components in I79N+/− vs. the isogenic control. This significant shift demonstrates that this missense in the TNNT2 transcript likely causes a biophysical trigger, which initiates this significant alteration in the transcriptome. This TnT-I79N hiPSC-CM model not only reproduces key cellular features of HCM-linked mutations but also suggests that this variant causes uncharted pro-arrhythmic changes to the human action potential and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Shafaattalab
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alison Y Li
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marvin G Gunawan
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - BaRun Kim
- Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Farah Jayousi
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yasaman Maaref
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Zhen Song
- UCLA Cardiac Computation Lab, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James N Weiss
- UCLA Cardiac Computation Lab, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - R John Solaro
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Zhilin Qu
- UCLA Cardiac Computation Lab, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Glen F Tibbits
- Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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7
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Hoang-Trong TM, Ullah A, Lederer WJ, Jafri MS. A Stochastic Spatiotemporal Model of Rat Ventricular Myocyte Calcium Dynamics Demonstrated Necessary Features for Calcium Wave Propagation. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:989. [PMID: 34940490 PMCID: PMC8706945 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11120989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) plays a central role in the excitation and contraction of cardiac myocytes. Experiments have indicated that calcium release is stochastic and regulated locally suggesting the possibility of spatially heterogeneous calcium levels in the cells. This spatial heterogeneity might be important in mediating different signaling pathways. During more than 50 years of computational cell biology, the computational models have been advanced to incorporate more ionic currents, going from deterministic models to stochastic models. While periodic increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration drive cardiac contraction, aberrant Ca2+ release can underly cardiac arrhythmia. However, the study of the spatial role of calcium ions has been limited due to the computational expense of using a three-dimensional stochastic computational model. In this paper, we introduce a three-dimensional stochastic computational model for rat ventricular myocytes at the whole-cell level that incorporate detailed calcium dynamics, with (1) non-uniform release site placement, (2) non-uniform membrane ionic currents and membrane buffers, (3) stochastic calcium-leak dynamics and (4) non-junctional or rogue ryanodine receptors. The model simulates spark-induced spark activation and spark-induced Ca2+ wave initiation and propagation that occur under conditions of calcium overload at the closed-cell condition, but not when Ca2+ levels are normal. This is considered important since the presence of Ca2+ waves contribute to the activation of arrhythmogenic currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan Minh Hoang-Trong
- School of Systems Biology, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (T.M.H.-T.); (A.U.)
| | - Aman Ullah
- School of Systems Biology, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (T.M.H.-T.); (A.U.)
| | - William Jonathan Lederer
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Mohsin Saleet Jafri
- School of Systems Biology, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (T.M.H.-T.); (A.U.)
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
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8
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Amuzescu B, Airini R, Epureanu FB, Mann SA, Knott T, Radu BM. Evolution of mathematical models of cardiomyocyte electrophysiology. Math Biosci 2021; 334:108567. [PMID: 33607174 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2021.108567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Advanced computational techniques and mathematical modeling have become more and more important to the study of cardiac electrophysiology. In this review, we provide a brief history of the evolution of cardiomyocyte electrophysiology models and highlight some of the most important ones that had a major impact on our understanding of the electrical activity of the myocardium and associated transmembrane ion fluxes in normal and pathological states. We also present the use of these models in the study of various arrhythmogenesis mechanisms, particularly the integration of experimental pharmacology data into advanced humanized models for in silico proarrhythmogenic risk prediction as an essential component of the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) drug safety paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Amuzescu
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania.
| | - Razvan Airini
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania
| | - Florin Bogdan Epureanu
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania
| | - Stefan A Mann
- Cytocentrics Bioscience GmbH, Nattermannallee 1, 50829 Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Knott
- CytoBioScience Inc., 3463 Magic Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Beatrice Mihaela Radu
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania
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9
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Pandey V, Xie LH, Qu Z, Song Z. Mitochondrial depolarization promotes calcium alternans: Mechanistic insights from a ventricular myocyte model. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008624. [PMID: 33493168 PMCID: PMC7861552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are vital organelles inside the cell and contribute to intracellular calcium (Ca2+) dynamics directly and indirectly via calcium exchange, ATP generation, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Arrhythmogenic Ca2+ alternans in cardiac myocytes has been observed in experiments under abnormal mitochondrial depolarization. However, complex signaling pathways and Ca2+ cycling between mitochondria and cytosol make it difficult in experiments to reveal the underlying mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans under abnormal mitochondrial depolarization. In this study, we use a newly developed spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte computer model that integrates mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling and complex signaling pathways to investigate the mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans during mitochondrial depolarization. We find that elevation of ROS in response to mitochondrial depolarization plays a critical role in promoting Ca2+ alternans. Further examination reveals that the redox effect of ROS on ryanodine receptors and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase synergistically promote alternans. Upregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter promotes Ca2+ alternans via Ca2+-dependent mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Due to their relatively slow kinetics, oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation and ATP do not play significant roles acutely in the genesis of Ca2+ alternans after mitochondrial depolarization, but their roles can be significant in the long term, mainly through their effects on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity. In conclusion, mitochondrial depolarization promotes Ca2+ alternans acutely via the redox effect of ROS and chronically by ATP reduction. It suppresses Ca2+ alternans chronically through oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Pandey
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Lai-Hua Xie
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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10
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Varró A, Tomek J, Nagy N, Virág L, Passini E, Rodriguez B, Baczkó I. Cardiac transmembrane ion channels and action potentials: cellular physiology and arrhythmogenic behavior. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1083-1176. [PMID: 33118864 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00024.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are among the leading causes of mortality. They often arise from alterations in the electrophysiological properties of cardiac cells and their underlying ionic mechanisms. It is therefore critical to further unravel the pathophysiology of the ionic basis of human cardiac electrophysiology in health and disease. In the first part of this review, current knowledge on the differences in ion channel expression and properties of the ionic processes that determine the morphology and properties of cardiac action potentials and calcium dynamics from cardiomyocytes in different regions of the heart are described. Then the cellular mechanisms promoting arrhythmias in congenital or acquired conditions of ion channel function (electrical remodeling) are discussed. The focus is on human-relevant findings obtained with clinical, experimental, and computational studies, given that interspecies differences make the extrapolation from animal experiments to human clinical settings difficult. Deepening the understanding of the diverse pathophysiology of human cellular electrophysiology will help in developing novel and effective antiarrhythmic strategies for specific subpopulations and disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Varró
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jakub Tomek
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Norbert Nagy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Virág
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elisa Passini
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Blanca Rodriguez
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - István Baczkó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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11
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Song Z, Qu Z. Delayed global feedback in the genesis and stability of spatiotemporal excitation patterns in paced biological excitable media. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007931. [PMID: 33017392 PMCID: PMC7561267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological excitable media, such as cardiac or neural cells and tissue, exhibit memory in which a change in the present excitation may affect the behaviors in the next excitation. For example, a change in calcium (Ca2+) concentration in a cell in the present excitation may affect the Ca2+ dynamics in the next excitation via bi-directional coupling between voltage and Ca2+, forming a delayed feedback loop. Since the Ca2+ dynamics inside the excitable cells are spatiotemporal while the membrane voltage is a global signal, the feedback loop is then a delayed global feedback (DGF) loop. In this study, we investigate the roles of DGF in the genesis and stability of spatiotemporal excitation patterns in periodically-paced excitable media using mathematical models with different levels of complexity: a model composed of coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo units, a 3-dimensional physiologically-detailed ventricular myocyte model, and a coupled map lattice model. We investigate the dynamics of excitation patterns that are temporal period-2 (P2) and spatially concordant or discordant, such as subcellular concordant or discordant Ca2+alternans in cardiac myocytes or spatially concordant or discordant Ca2+ and repolarization alternans in cardiac tissue. Our modeling approach allows both computer simulations and rigorous analytical treatments, which lead to the following results and conclusions. When DGF is absent, concordant and discordant P2 patterns occur depending on initial conditions with the discordant P2 patterns being spatially random. When the DGF is negative, only concordant P2 patterns exist. When the DGF is positive, both concordant and discordant P2 patterns can occur. The discordant P2 patterns are still spatially random, but they satisfy that the global signal exhibits a temporal period-1 behavior. The theoretical analyses of the coupled map lattice model reveal the underlying instabilities and bifurcations for the genesis, selection, and stability of spatiotemporal excitation patterns. Understanding the mechanisms of pattern formation in biological systems is of great importance. Here we investigate the dynamical mechanisms by which delayed global feedback affects excitation pattern formation and stability in periodically-paced biological excitable media, such as cardiac or neural cells and tissue. We focus on the formation and stability of the temporal period-2 and spatially in-phase and out-of-phase excitation patterns. Using models of different levels of complexity, we show that when the delayed global feedback is negative, only the spatially in-phase patterns are stable. When the feedback is positive, both spatially in-phase and out-of-phase patterns are stable, and the out-of-phase patterns are spatially random but satisfy that the global signals are temporal period-1 solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- * E-mail: (ZS); (ZQ)
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ZS); (ZQ)
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12
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Cardiomyocyte calcium handling in health and disease: Insights from in vitro and in silico studies. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 157:54-75. [PMID: 32188566 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) plays a central role in cardiomyocyte excitation-contraction coupling. To ensure an optimal electrical impulse propagation and cardiac contraction, Ca2+ levels are regulated by a variety of Ca2+-handling proteins. In turn, Ca2+ modulates numerous electrophysiological processes. Accordingly, Ca2+-handling abnormalities can promote cardiac arrhythmias via various mechanisms, including the promotion of afterdepolarizations, ion-channel modulation and structural remodeling. In the last 30 years, significant improvements have been made in the computational modeling of cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling under physiological and pathological conditions. However, numerous questions involving the Ca2+-dependent regulation of different macromolecular complexes, cross-talk between Ca2+-dependent regulatory pathways operating over a wide range of time scales, and bidirectional interactions between electrophysiology and mechanics remain to be addressed by in vitro and in silico studies. A better understanding of disease-specific Ca2+-dependent proarrhythmic mechanisms may facilitate the development of improved therapeutic strategies. In this review, we describe the fundamental mechanisms of cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling in health and disease, and provide an overview of currently available computational models for cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling. Finally, we discuss important uncertainties and open questions about cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling and highlight how synergy between in vitro and in silico studies may help to answer several of these issues.
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13
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Colman MA, Holmes M, Whittaker DG, Jayasinghe I, Benson AP. Multi-scale approaches for the simulation of cardiac electrophysiology: I - Sub-cellular and stochastic calcium dynamics from cell to organ. Methods 2020; 185:49-59. [PMID: 32126258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational models of the heart at multiple spatial scales, from sub-cellular nanodomains to the whole-organ, are a powerful tool for the simulation of cardiac electrophysiology. Application of these models has provided remarkable insight into the normal and pathological functioning of the heart. In these two articles, we present methods for modelling cardiac electrophysiology at all of these spatial scales. In part one, presented here, we discuss methods and approaches for modelling sub-cellular calcium dynamics at the whole-cell and organ scales, valuable for modelling excitation-contraction coupling and mechanisms of arrhythmia triggers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Colman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Maxx Holmes
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Dominic G Whittaker
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Izzy Jayasinghe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alan P Benson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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14
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Song Z, Xie LH, Weiss JN, Qu Z. A Spatiotemporal Ventricular Myocyte Model Incorporating Mitochondrial Calcium Cycling. Biophys J 2019; 117:2349-2360. [PMID: 31623883 PMCID: PMC6990377 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) cycling dynamics in cardiac myocytes are spatiotemporally generated by stochastic events arising from a spatially distributed network of coupled Ca2+ release units that interact with an intertwined mitochondrial network. In this study, we developed a spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte model that integrates mitochondria-related Ca2+ cycling components into our previously developed ventricular myocyte model consisting of a three-dimensional Ca2+ release unit network. Mathematical formulations of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling, mitochondrial permeability transition pore stochastic opening and closing, intracellular reactive oxygen species signaling, and oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II signaling were incorporated into the model. We then used the model to simulate the effects of mitochondrial depolarization on mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling, Ca2+ spark frequency, and Ca2+ amplitude, which agree well with experimental data. We also simulated the effects of the strength of mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporters and their spatial localization on intracellular Ca2+ cycling properties, which substantially affected diastolic and systolic Ca2+ levels in the mitochondria but exhibited only a small effect on sarcoplasmic reticulum and cytosolic Ca2+ levels under normal conditions. We show that mitochondrial depolarization can cause Ca2+ waves and Ca2+ alternans, which agrees with previous experimental observations. We propose that this new, to our knowledge, spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte model, incorporating properties of mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling and reactive-oxygen-species-dependent signaling, will be useful for investigating the effects of mitochondria on intracellular Ca2+ cycling and action potential dynamics in ventricular myocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Lai-Hua Xie
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - James N Weiss
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Biomathematics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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15
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Cosi FG, Giese W, Neubert W, Luther S, Chamakuri N, Parlitz U, Falcke M. Multiscale Modeling of Dyadic Structure-Function Relation in Ventricular Cardiac Myocytes. Biophys J 2019; 117:2409-2419. [PMID: 31635789 PMCID: PMC6990380 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is often related to defects of subcellular components in cardiac myocytes, specifically in the dyadic cleft, which include changes in cleft geometry and channel placement. Modeling of these pathological changes requires both spatially resolved cleft as well as whole cell level descriptions. We use a multiscale model to create dyadic structure-function relationships to explore the impact of molecular changes on whole cell electrophysiology and calcium cycling. This multiscale model incorporates stochastic simulation of individual L-type calcium channels and ryanodine receptor channels, spatially detailed concentration dynamics in dyadic clefts, rabbit membrane potential dynamics, and a system of partial differential equations for myoplasmic and lumenal free Ca2+ and Ca2+-binding molecules in the bulk of the cell. We found action potential duration, systolic, and diastolic [Ca2+] to respond most sensitively to changes in L-type calcium channel current. The ryanodine receptor channel cluster structure inside dyadic clefts was found to affect all biomarkers investigated. The shape of clusters observed in experiments by Jayasinghe et al. and channel density within the cluster (characterized by mean occupancy) showed the strongest correlation to the effects on biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo G Cosi
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany; Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Göttingen, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Giese
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Neubert
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Luther
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany; Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Göttingen, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nagaiah Chamakuri
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Ulrich Parlitz
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany; Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Göttingen, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Falcke
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Physics, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
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16
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Marchena M, Echebarria B. Computational Model of Calcium Signaling in Cardiac Atrial Cells at the Submicron Scale. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1760. [PMID: 30618786 PMCID: PMC6295473 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In cardiac cells, calcium is the mediator of excitation-contraction coupling. Dysfunctions in calcium handling have been identified as the origin of some cardiac arrhythmias. In the particular case of atrial myocytes, recent available experimental data has found links between these dysfunctions and structural changes in the calcium handling machinery (ryanodine cluster size and distribution, t-tubular network, etc). To address this issue, we have developed a computational model of an atrial myocyte that takes into account the detailed intracellular structure. The homogenized macroscopic behavior is described with a two-concentration field model, using effective diffusion coefficients of calcium in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and in the cytoplasm. The model reproduces the right calcium transients and dependence with pacing frequency. Under basal conditions, the calcium rise is mostly restricted to the periphery of the cell, with a large concentration ratio between the periphery and the interior. We have then studied the dependence of the speed of the calcium wave on cytosolic and SR diffusion coefficients, finding an almost linear relation with the former, in agreement with a diffusive and fire mechanism of propagation, and little dependence on the latter. Finally, we have studied the effect of a change in RyR cluster microstructure. We find that, under resting conditions, the spark frequency decreases slightly with RyR cluster spatial dispersion, but markedly increases when the RyRs are distributed in clusters of larger size, stressing the importance of RyR cluster organization to understand atrial arrhythmias, as recent experimental results suggest (Macquaide et al., 2015).
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Marchena
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blas Echebarria
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
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17
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Chen J, Miller M, Unno H, Rosenthal P, Sanderson MJ, Broide DH. Orosomucoid-like 3 (ORMDL3) upregulates airway smooth muscle proliferation, contraction, and Ca 2+ oscillations in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018; 142:207-218.e6. [PMID: 28889952 PMCID: PMC5842097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Airway hyperresponsiveness is a major feature of asthma attributed predominantly to an extrinsic immune/inflammatory response increasing airway smooth muscle (ASM) contractility. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether increased ASM expression of orosomucoid-like 3 (ORMDL3), a gene on chromosome 17q21 highly linked to asthma, induced increased ASM proliferation and contractility in vitro and influenced airway contractility and calcium flux in ASM in precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs) from wild-type and hORMDL3Zp3-Cre mice (which express increased levels of human ORMDL3 [hORMDL3]). METHODS Levels of ASM proliferation and contraction were assessed in ASM cells transfected with ORMDL3 in vitro. In addition, airway contractility and calcium oscillations were quantitated in ASM cells in PCLSs derived from naive wild-type and naive hORMDL3Zp3-Cre mice, which do not have a blood supply. RESULTS Increased ASM expression of ORMDL3 in vitro resulted in increased ASM proliferation and contractility. PCLSs derived from naive hORMDL3Zp3-Cre mice, which do not have airway inflammation, exhibit increased airway contractility with increased calcium oscillations in ASM cells. Increased ASM ORMDL3 expression increases levels of ASM sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2b (SERCA2b), which increases ASM proliferation and contractility. CONCLUSION Overall, these studies provide evidence that an intrinsic increase in ORMDL3 expression in ASM can induce increased ASM proliferation and contractility, which might contribute to increased airway hyperresponsiveness in the absence of airway inflammation in asthmatic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Mass
| | - Marina Miller
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif
| | - Hirotoshi Unno
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif
| | - Peter Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif
| | - Michael J Sanderson
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Mass
| | - David H Broide
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
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18
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Colman MA, Pinali C, Trafford AW, Zhang H, Kitmitto A. A computational model of spatio-temporal cardiac intracellular calcium handling with realistic structure and spatial flux distribution from sarcoplasmic reticulum and t-tubule reconstructions. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005714. [PMID: 28859079 PMCID: PMC5597258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium cycling is a vital component of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. The key structures responsible for controlling calcium dynamics are the cell membrane (comprising the surface sarcolemma and transverse-tubules), the intracellular calcium store (the sarcoplasmic reticulum), and the co-localisation of these two structures to form dyads within which calcium-induced-calcium-release occurs. The organisation of these structures tightly controls intracellular calcium dynamics. In this study, we present a computational model of intracellular calcium cycling in three-dimensions (3-D), which incorporates high resolution reconstructions of these key regulatory structures, attained through imaging of tissue taken from the sheep left ventricle using serial block face scanning electron microscopy. An approach was developed to model the sarcoplasmic reticulum structure at the whole-cell scale, by reducing its full 3-D structure to a 3-D network of one-dimensional strands. The model reproduces intracellular calcium dynamics during control pacing and reveals the high-resolution 3-D spatial structure of calcium gradients and intracellular fluxes in both the cytoplasm and sarcoplasmic reticulum. We also demonstrated the capability of the model to reproduce potentially pro-arrhythmic dynamics under perturbed conditions, pertaining to calcium-transient alternans and spontaneous release events. Comparison with idealised cell models emphasised the importance of structure in determining calcium gradients and controlling the spatial dynamics associated with calcium-transient alternans, wherein the probabilistic nature of dyad activation and recruitment was constrained. The model was further used to highlight the criticality in calcium spark propagation in relation to inter-dyad distances. The model presented provides a powerful tool for future investigation of structure-function relationships underlying physiological and pathophysiological intracellular calcium handling phenomena at the whole-cell. The approach allows for the first time direct integration of high-resolution images of 3-D intracellular structures with models of calcium cycling, presenting the possibility to directly assess the functional impact of structural remodelling at the cellular scale. The organisation of the membrane and sub-cellular structures of cells in the heart closely controls the coupling between its electrical and mechanical function. Computational models of the cellular calcium handling system, which is responsible for this electro-mechanical coupling, have been developed in recent years to study underlying structure-function relationships. Previous models have been largely idealised in structure; we present a new model which incorporates experimental data describing the high-resolution organisation of the primary structures involved in calcium dynamics. Significantly, the structure of the intracellular calcium store is modelled for the first time. The model is shown to reproduce calcium dynamics in control cells in both normal and abnormal conditions, demonstrating its suitability for future investigation of structure-function relationships. Thus, the model presented provides a powerful tool for the direct integration of experimentally acquired structural data in healthy and diseased cells and assessment of the role of structure in regulating normal and abnormal calcium dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Colman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Christian Pinali
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew W. Trafford
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Henggui Zhang
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ashraf Kitmitto
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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19
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Weinberg SH, Mair DB, Lemmon CA. Mechanotransduction Dynamics at the Cell-Matrix Interface. Biophys J 2017; 112:1962-1974. [PMID: 28494966 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of cells to sense and respond to mechanical cues from the surrounding environment has been implicated as a key regulator of cell differentiation, migration, and proliferation. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an oft-overlooked component of the interface between cells and their surroundings. Cells assemble soluble ECM proteins into insoluble fibrils with unique mechanical properties that can alter the mechanical cues a cell receives. In this study, we construct a model that predicts the dynamics of cellular traction force generation and subsequent assembly of fibrils of the ECM protein fibronectin (FN). FN fibrils are the primary component in primordial ECM and, as such, FN assembly is a critical component in the cellular mechanical response. The model consists of a network of Hookean springs, each representing an extensible domain within an assembling FN fibril. As actomyosin forces stretch the spring network, simulations predict the resulting traction force and FN fibril formation. The model accurately predicts FN fibril morphometry and demonstrates a mechanism by which FN fibril assembly regulates traction force dynamics in response to mechanical stimuli and varying surrounding substrate stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth H Weinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Devin B Mair
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Christopher A Lemmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
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20
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A unified theory of calcium alternans in ventricular myocytes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35625. [PMID: 27762397 PMCID: PMC5071909 DOI: 10.1038/srep35625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) alternans is a dynamical phenomenon in ventricular myocytes, which is linked to the genesis of lethal arrhythmias. Iterated map models of intracellular Ca2+ cycling dynamics in ventricular myocytes under periodic pacing have been developed to study the mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans. Two mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans have been demonstrated in these models: one relies mainly on fractional sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and uptake, and the other on refractoriness and other properties of Ca2+ sparks. Each of the two mechanisms can partially explain the experimental observations, but both have their inconsistencies with the experimental results. Here we developed an iterated map model that is composed of two coupled iterated maps, which unifies the two mechanisms into a single cohesive mathematical framework. The unified theory can consistently explain the seemingly contradictory experimental observations and shows that the two mechanisms work synergistically to promote Ca2+ alternans. Predictions of the theory were examined in a physiologically-detailed spatial Ca2+ cycling model of ventricular myocytes.
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21
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Hill AP, Perry MD, Abi-Gerges N, Couderc JP, Fermini B, Hancox JC, Knollmann BC, Mirams GR, Skinner J, Zareba W, Vandenberg JI. Computational cardiology and risk stratification for sudden cardiac death: one of the grand challenges for cardiology in the 21st century. J Physiol 2016; 594:6893-6908. [PMID: 27060987 PMCID: PMC5134408 DOI: 10.1113/jp272015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Risk stratification in the context of sudden cardiac death has been acknowledged as one of the major challenges facing cardiology for the past four decades. In recent years, the advent of high performance computing has facilitated organ-level simulation of the heart, meaning we can now examine the causes, mechanisms and impact of cardiac dysfunction in silico. As a result, computational cardiology, largely driven by the Physiome project, now stands at the threshold of clinical utility in regards to risk stratification and treatment of patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. In this white paper, we outline a roadmap of what needs to be done to make this translational step, using the relatively well-developed case of acquired or drug-induced long QT syndrome as an exemplar case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P Hill
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew D Perry
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Najah Abi-Gerges
- AnaBios Corporation, 3030 Bunker Hill St., San Diego, CA, 92109, USA
| | | | - Bernard Fermini
- Global Safety Pharmacology, Pfizer Inc, MS8274-1347 Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT, 06340, USA
| | - Jules C Hancox
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Bjorn C Knollmann
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 1285 Medical Research Building IV, Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, USA
| | - Gary R Mirams
- Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Skinner
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group, Starship Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Wojciech Zareba
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Jamie I Vandenberg
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Song Z, Ko CY, Nivala M, Weiss JN, Qu Z. Calcium-voltage coupling in the genesis of early and delayed afterdepolarizations in cardiac myocytes. Biophys J 2016; 108:1908-21. [PMID: 25902431 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) are voltage oscillations known to cause cardiac arrhythmias. EADs are mainly driven by voltage oscillations in the repolarizing phase of the action potential (AP), while DADs are driven by spontaneous calcium (Ca) release during diastole. Because voltage and Ca are bidirectionally coupled, they modulate each other's behaviors, and new AP and Ca cycling dynamics can emerge from this coupling. In this study, we performed computer simulations using an AP model with detailed spatiotemporal Ca cycling incorporating stochastic openings of Ca channels and ryanodine receptors to investigate the effects of Ca-voltage coupling on EAD and DAD dynamics. Simulations were complemented by experiments in mouse ventricular myocytes. We show that: 1) alteration of the Ca transient due to increased ryanodine receptor leakiness and/or sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase activity can either promote or suppress EADs due to the complex effects of Ca on ionic current properties; 2) spontaneous Ca waves also exhibit complex effects on EADs, but cannot induce EADs of significant amplitude without the participation of ICa,L; 3) lengthening AP duration and the occurrence of EADs promote DADs by increasing intracellular Ca loading, and two mechanisms of DADs are identified, i.e., Ca-wave-dependent and Ca-wave-independent; and 4) Ca-voltage coupling promotes complex EAD patterns such as EAD alternans that are not observed for solely voltage-driven EADs. In conclusion, Ca-voltage coupling combined with the nonlinear dynamical behaviors of voltage and Ca cycling play a key role in generating complex EAD and DAD dynamics observed experimentally in cardiac myocytes, whose mechanisms are complex but analyzable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Christopher Y Ko
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael Nivala
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - James N Weiss
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles, California.
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23
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Song Z, Karma A, Weiss JN, Qu Z. Long-Lasting Sparks: Multi-Metastability and Release Competition in the Calcium Release Unit Network. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1004671. [PMID: 26730593 PMCID: PMC4701461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca) sparks are elementary events of biological Ca signaling. A normal Ca spark has a brief duration in the range of 10 to 100 ms, but long-lasting sparks with durations of several hundred milliseconds to seconds are also widely observed. Experiments have shown that the transition from normal to long-lasting sparks can occur when ryanodine receptor (RyR) open probability is either increased or decreased. Here, we demonstrate theoretically and computationally that long-lasting sparks emerge as a collective dynamical behavior of the network of diffusively coupled Ca release units (CRUs). We show that normal sparks occur when the CRU network is monostable and excitable, while long-lasting sparks occur when the network dynamics possesses multiple metastable attractors, each attractor corresponding to a different spatial firing pattern of sparks. We further highlight the mechanisms and conditions that produce long-lasting sparks, demonstrating the existence of an optimal range of RyR open probability favoring long-lasting sparks. We find that when CRU firings are sparse and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca load is high, increasing RyR open probability promotes long-lasting sparks by potentiating Ca-induced Ca release (CICR). In contrast, when CICR is already strong enough to produce frequent firings, decreasing RyR open probability counter-intuitively promotes long-lasting sparks by decreasing spark frequency. The decrease in spark frequency promotes intra-SR Ca diffusion from neighboring non-firing CRUs to the firing CRUs, which helps to maintain the local SR Ca concentration of the firing CRUs above a critical level to sustain firing. In this setting, decreasing RyR open probability further suppresses long-lasting sparks by weakening CICR. Since a long-lasting spark terminates via the Kramers’ escape process over a potential barrier, its duration exhibits an exponential distribution determined by the barrier height and noise strength, which is modulated differently by different ways of altering the Ca release flux strength. Calcium (Ca) sparks, resulting from Ca-induced Ca release, are elementary events of biological Ca signaling. Sparks are normally brief, but long-lasting sparks have been widely observed experimentally under various conditions. The underlying mechanisms of spark duration or termination and the corresponding determinants remain a topic of debate. In this study, we demonstrate theoretically and computationally that normal brief sparks are excitable transients, while long-lasting sparks are multiple metastable states emerging in the diffusively coupled Ca release unit network, as a result of cooperativity and release competition among the Ca release units. Termination of a long-lasting spark is a Kramers’ escape process over a potential barrier, and the spark duration is the first-passage time, exhibiting an exponential distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- The UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Alain Karma
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James N. Weiss
- The UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Qu
- The UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Myokit: A simple interface to cardiac cellular electrophysiology. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 120:100-14. [PMID: 26721671 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Myokit is a new powerful and versatile software tool for modeling and simulation of cardiac cellular electrophysiology. Myokit consists of an easy-to-read modeling language, a graphical user interface, single and multi-cell simulation engines and a library of advanced analysis tools accessible through a Python interface. Models can be loaded from Myokit's native file format or imported from CellML. Model export is provided to C, MATLAB, CellML, CUDA and OpenCL. Patch-clamp data can be imported and used to estimate model parameters. In this paper, we review existing tools to simulate the cardiac cellular action potential to find that current tools do not cater specifically to model development and that there is a gap between easy-to-use but limited software and powerful tools that require strong programming skills from their users. We then describe Myokit's capabilities, focusing on its model description language, simulation engines and import/export facilities in detail. Using three examples, we show how Myokit can be used for clinically relevant investigations, multi-model testing and parameter estimation in Markov models, all with minimal programming effort from the user. This way, Myokit bridges a gap between performance, versatility and user-friendliness.
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25
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Clancy CE, Chen-Izu Y, Bers DM, Belardinelli L, Boyden PA, Csernoch L, Despa S, Fermini B, Hool LC, Izu L, Kass RS, Lederer WJ, Louch WE, Maack C, Matiazzi A, Qu Z, Rajamani S, Rippinger CM, Sejersted OM, O'Rourke B, Weiss JN, Varró A, Zaza A. Deranged sodium to sudden death. J Physiol 2015; 593:1331-45. [PMID: 25772289 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.281204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In February 2014, a group of scientists convened as part of the University of California Davis Cardiovascular Symposium to bring together experimental and mathematical modelling perspectives and discuss points of consensus and controversy on the topic of sodium in the heart. This paper summarizes the topics of presentation and discussion from the symposium, with a focus on the role of aberrant sodium channels and abnormal sodium homeostasis in cardiac arrhythmias and pharmacotherapy from the subcellular scale to the whole heart. Two following papers focus on Na(+) channel structure, function and regulation, and Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange and Na(+)/K(+) ATPase. The UC Davis Cardiovascular Symposium is a biannual event that aims to bring together leading experts in subfields of cardiovascular biomedicine to focus on topics of importance to the field. The focus on Na(+) in the 2014 symposium stemmed from the multitude of recent studies that point to the importance of maintaining Na(+) homeostasis in the heart, as disruption of homeostatic processes are increasingly identified in cardiac disease states. Understanding how disruption in cardiac Na(+)-based processes leads to derangement in multiple cardiac components at the level of the cell and to then connect these perturbations to emergent behaviour in the heart to cause disease is a critical area of research. The ubiquity of disruption of Na(+) channels and Na(+) homeostasis in cardiac disorders of excitability and mechanics emphasizes the importance of a fundamental understanding of the associated mechanisms and disease processes to ultimately reveal new targets for human therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen E Clancy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome Building Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616-8636, USA
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26
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Hoang-Trong TM, Ullah A, Jafri MS. Calcium Sparks in the Heart: Dynamics and Regulation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 6:203-214. [PMID: 27212876 DOI: 10.2147/rrb.s61495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) plays a central role in the contraction of the heart. It is the bi-directional link between electrical excitation of the heart and contraction. Electrical excitation initiates Ca2+influx across the sarcolemma and T-tubular membrane that triggered calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Ca2+sparks are the elementary events of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of Ca2+sparks is essential for understanding the function of the heart. To this end, numerous experimental and computational studies have focused on this topic, exploring the mechanisms of calcium spark initiation, termination, and regulation and what role these play in normal and patho-physiology. The proper understanding of Ca2+ spark regulation and dynamics serves as the foundation for our insights into a multitude of pathological conditions may develop that can be the result of structural and/or functional changes at the cellular or subcellular level. Computational modeling of Ca2+ spark dynamics has proven to be a useful tool to understand Ca2+ spark dynamics. This review addresses our current understanding of Ca2+ sparks and how synchronized SR Ca2+ release, in which Ca2+ sparks is a major pathway, is linked to the different cardiac diseases, especially arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan M Hoang-Trong
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030
| | - Aman Ullah
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030
| | - M Saleet Jafri
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030; Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 20201
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27
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Vierheller J, Neubert W, Falcke M, Gilbert SH, Chamakuri N. A multiscale computational model of spatially resolved calcium cycling in cardiac myocytes: from detailed cleft dynamics to the whole cell concentration profiles. Front Physiol 2015; 6:255. [PMID: 26441674 PMCID: PMC4585174 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical modeling of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) in ventricular cardiac myocytes is a multiscale problem, and it is therefore difficult to develop spatially detailed simulation tools. ECC involves gradients on the length scale of 100 nm in dyadic spaces and concentration profiles along the 100 μm of the whole cell, as well as the sub-millisecond time scale of local concentration changes and the change of lumenal Ca2+ content within tens of seconds. Our concept for a multiscale mathematical model of Ca2+ -induced Ca2+ release (CICR) and whole cardiomyocyte electrophysiology incorporates stochastic simulation of individual LC- and RyR-channels, spatially detailed concentration dynamics in dyadic clefts, rabbit membrane potential dynamics, and a system of partial differential equations for myoplasmic and lumenal free Ca2+ and Ca2+-binding molecules in the bulk of the cell. We developed a novel computational approach to resolve the concentration gradients from dyadic space to cell level by using a quasistatic approximation within the dyad and finite element methods for integrating the partial differential equations. We show whole cell Ca2+-concentration profiles using three previously published RyR-channel Markov schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Vierheller
- Mathematical Cell Physiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Neubert
- Mathematical Cell Physiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Falcke
- Mathematical Cell Physiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephen H Gilbert
- Mathematical Cell Physiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin, Germany
| | - Nagaiah Chamakuri
- Johann Radon Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics (RICAM), Austrian Academy of Sciences Linz, Austria
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28
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Chan YH, Tsai WC, Song Z, Ko CY, Qu Z, Weiss JN, Lin SF, Chen PS, Jones LR, Chen Z. Acute reversal of phospholamban inhibition facilitates the rhythmic whole-cell propagating calcium waves in isolated ventricular myocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2015; 80:126-35. [PMID: 25596331 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2014.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Phospholamban (PLB) inhibits the activity of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a). Phosphorylation of PLB during sympathetic activation reverses SERCA2a inhibition, increasing SR Ca(2+) uptake. However, sympathetic activation also modulates multiple other intracellular targets in ventricular myocytes (VMs), making it impossible to determine the specific effects of the reversal of PLB inhibition on the spontaneous SR Ca(2+) release. Therefore, it remains unclear how PLB regulates rhythmic activity in VMs. Here, we used the Fab fragment of 2D12, a monoclonal anti-PLB antibody, to test how acute reversal of PLB inhibition affects the spontaneous SR Ca(2+) release in normal VMs. Ca(2+) sparks and spontaneous Ca(2+) waves (SCWs) were recorded in the line-scan mode of confocal microscopy using the Ca(2+) fluorescent dye Fluo-4 in isolated permeabilized mouse VMs. Fab, which reverses PLB inhibition, significantly increased the frequency, amplitude, and spatial/temporal spread of Ca(2+) sparks in VMs exposed to 50 nM free [Ca(2+)]. At physiological diastolic free [Ca(2+)] (100-200 nM), Fab facilitated the formation of whole-cell propagating SCWs. At higher free [Ca(2+)], Fab increased the frequency and velocity, but decreased the decay time of the SCWs. cAMP had little additional effect on the frequency or morphology of Ca(2+) sparks or SCWs after Fab addition. These findings were complemented by computer simulations. In conclusion, acute reversal of PLB inhibition alone significantly increased the spontaneous SR Ca(2+) release, leading to the facilitation and organization of whole-cell propagating SCWs in normal VMs. PLB thus plays a key role in subcellular Ca(2+) dynamics and rhythmic activity of VMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hsin Chan
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chung Tsai
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Zhen Song
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Y Ko
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - James N Weiss
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shien-Fong Lin
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
| | - Peng-Sheng Chen
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Larry R Jones
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Zhenhui Chen
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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29
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Nivala M, Song Z, Weiss JN, Qu Z. T-tubule disruption promotes calcium alternans in failing ventricular myocytes: mechanistic insights from computational modeling. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2014; 79:32-41. [PMID: 25450613 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2014.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 10/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In heart failure (HF), T-tubule (TT) disruption contributes to dyssynchronous calcium (Ca) release and impaired contraction, but its role in arrhythmogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of TT disruption and other HF remodeling factors on Ca alternans in ventricular myocytes using computer modeling. A ventricular myocyte model with detailed spatiotemporal Ca cycling modeled by a coupled Ca release unit (CRU) network was used, in which the L-type Ca channels and the ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels were simulated by random Markov transitions. TT disruption, which removes the L-type Ca channels from the associated CRUs, results in "orphaned" RyR clusters and thus provides increased opportunity for spark-induced Ca sparks to occur. This effect combined with other HF remodeling factors promoted alternans by two distinct mechanisms: 1) for normal sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase (SERCA) activity, alternans was caused by both CRU refractoriness and coupling. The increased opportunity for spark-induced sparks by TT disruption combined with the enhanced CRU coupling by Ca elevation in the presence or absence of increased RyR leakiness facilitated spark synchronization on alternate beats to promote Ca alternans; 2) for down-regulated SERCA, alternans was caused by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca load-dependent mechanism, independent of CRU refractoriness. TT disruption and increased RyR leakiness shifted and steepened the SR Ca release-load relationship, which combines with down-regulated SERCA to promote Ca alternans. In conclusion, the mechanisms of Ca alternans for normal and down-regulated SERCA are different, and TT disruption promotes Ca alternans by both mechanisms, which may contribute to alternans at different stages of HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nivala
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James N Weiss
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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30
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Abstract
In a normal human life span, the heart beats about 2 to 3 billion times. Under diseased conditions, a heart may lose its normal rhythm and degenerate suddenly into much faster and irregular rhythms, called arrhythmias, which may lead to sudden death. The transition from a normal rhythm to an arrhythmia is a transition from regular electrical wave conduction to irregular or turbulent wave conduction in the heart, and thus this medical problem is also a problem of physics and mathematics. In the last century, clinical, experimental, and theoretical studies have shown that dynamical theories play fundamental roles in understanding the mechanisms of the genesis of the normal heart rhythm as well as lethal arrhythmias. In this article, we summarize in detail the nonlinear and stochastic dynamics occurring in the heart and their links to normal cardiac functions and arrhythmias, providing a holistic view through integrating dynamics from the molecular (microscopic) scale, to the organelle (mesoscopic) scale, to the cellular, tissue, and organ (macroscopic) scales. We discuss what existing problems and challenges are waiting to be solved and how multi-scale mathematical modeling and nonlinear dynamics may be helpful for solving these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Correspondence to: Zhilin Qu, PhD, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, A2-237 CHS, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Tel: 310-794-6050, Fax: 310-206-9133,
| | - Gang Hu
- Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Alan Garfinkel
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - James N. Weiss
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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31
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Qu Z. Network Dynamics in Cardiac Electrophysiology. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF METABOLIC AND SIGNALING NETWORKS 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-38505-6_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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32
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Abriel H, de Lange E, Kucera JP, Loussouarn G, Tarek M. Computational tools to investigate genetic cardiac channelopathies. Front Physiol 2013; 4:390. [PMID: 24421770 PMCID: PMC3872783 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this perspective article is to share with the community of ion channel scientists our thoughts and expectations regarding the increasing role that computational tools will play in the future of our field. The opinions and comments detailed here are the result of a 3-day long international exploratory workshop that took place in October 2013 and that was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugues Abriel
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern Bern, Switzerland
| | - Enno de Lange
- Department of Knowledge Engineering, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jan P Kucera
- Department of Physiology, University of Bern Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gildas Loussouarn
- INSERM, UMR 1087, l'Institut du thorax Nantes, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, L'Institut du Thorax, UMR 6921 Nantes, France ; L'Institut du Thorax, UMR 6921, Université de Nantes Nantes, France
| | - Mounir Tarek
- Theory, Modeling and Simulations, UMR 7565, Université de Lorraine Vandoeuvre-lés-Nancy, France ; Theory, Modeling and Simulations, UMR 7565, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Vandoeuvre-lés-Nancy, France
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33
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Nivala M, Ko CY, Nivala M, Weiss JN, Qu Z. The emergence of subcellular pacemaker sites for calcium waves and oscillations. J Physiol 2013; 591:5305-20. [PMID: 24042497 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.259960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca(2+)) waves generating oscillatory Ca(2+) signals are widely observed in biological cells. Experimental studies have shown that under certain conditions, initiation of Ca(2+) waves is random in space and time, while under other conditions, waves occur repetitively from preferred locations (pacemaker sites) from which they entrain the whole cell. In this study, we use computer simulations to investigate the self-organization of Ca(2+) sparks into pacemaker sites generating Ca(2+) oscillations. In both ventricular myocyte experiments and computer simulations of a heterogeneous Ca(2+) release unit (CRU) network model, we show that Ca(2+) waves occur randomly in space and time when the Ca(2+) level is low, but as the Ca(2+) level increases, waves occur repetitively from the same sites. Our analysis indicates that this transition to entrainment can be attributed to the fact that random Ca(2+) sparks self-organize into Ca(2+) oscillations differently at low and high Ca(2+) levels. At low Ca(2+), the whole cell Ca(2+) oscillation frequency of the coupled CRU system is much slower than that of an isolated single CRU. Compared to a single CRU, the distribution of interspike intervals (ISIs) of the coupled CRU network exhibits a greater variation, and its ISI distribution is asymmetric with respect to the peak, exhibiting a fat tail. At high Ca(2+), however, the coupled CRU network has a faster frequency and lesser ISI variation compared to an individual CRU. The ISI distribution of the coupled network no longer exhibits a fat tail and is well-approximated by a Gaussian distribution. This same Ca(2+) oscillation behaviour can also be achieved by varying the number of ryanodine receptors per CRU or the distance between CRUs. Using these results, we develop a theory for the entrainment of random oscillators which provides a unified explanation for the experimental observations underlying the emergence of pacemaker sites and Ca(2+) oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nivala
- Z. Qu: Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, A2-237 CHS, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
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34
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Asfaw M, Alvarez-Lacalle E, Shiferaw Y. The timing statistics of spontaneous calcium release in cardiac myocytes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62967. [PMID: 23690970 PMCID: PMC3656860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of cardiac arrhythmias are initiated by a focal excitation that disrupts the regular beating of the heart. In some cases it is known that these excitations are due to calcium (Ca) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via propagating subcellular Ca waves. However, it is not understood what are the physiological factors that determine the timing of these excitations at both the subcellular and tissue level. In this paper we apply analytic and numerical approaches to determine the timing statistics of spontaneous Ca release (SCR) in a simplified model of a cardiac myocyte. In particular, we compute the mean first passage time (MFPT) to SCR, in the case where SCR is initiated by spontaneous Ca sparks, and demonstrate that this quantity exhibits either an algebraic or exponential dependence on system parameters. Based on this analysis we identify the necessary requirements so that SCR occurs on a time scale comparable to the cardiac cycle. Finally, we study how SCR is synchronized across many cells in cardiac tissue, and identify a quantitative measure that determines the relative timing of SCR in an ensemble of cells. Using this approach we identify the physiological conditions so that cell-to-cell variations in the timing of SCR is small compared to the typical duration of an SCR event. We argue further that under these conditions inward currents due to SCR can summate and generate arrhythmogenic triggered excitations in cardiac tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mesfin Asfaw
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, United States of America
| | - Enric Alvarez-Lacalle
- Department de Física Aplicada, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yohannes Shiferaw
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Qu Z, Nivala M, Weiss JN. Calcium alternans in cardiac myocytes: order from disorder. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2013; 58:100-9. [PMID: 23104004 PMCID: PMC3570622 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2012.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2012] [Revised: 09/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Calcium alternans is associated with T-wave alternans and pulsus alternans, harbingers of increased mortality in the setting of heart disease. Recent experimental, computational, and theoretical studies have led to new insights into the mechanisms of Ca alternans, specifically how disordered behaviors dominated by stochastic processes at the subcellular level become organized into ordered periodic behaviors. In this article, we summarize the recent progress in this area, outlining a holistic theoretical framework in which the complex effects of Ca cycling proteins on Ca alternans are linked to three key properties of the cardiac Ca cycling network: randomness, refractoriness, and recruitment. We also illustrate how this '3R theory' can reconcile many seemingly contradictory experimental observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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36
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Matters of the heart in bioenergetics: mitochondrial fusion into continuous reticulum is not needed for maximal respiratory activity. J Bioenerg Biomembr 2012; 45:319-31. [DOI: 10.1007/s10863-012-9494-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Nivala M, Ko CY, Nivala M, Weiss JN, Qu Z. Criticality in intracellular calcium signaling in cardiac myocytes. Biophys J 2012; 102:2433-42. [PMID: 22713558 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 04/30/2012] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca) is a ubiquitous second messenger that regulates many biological functions. The elementary events of local Ca signaling are Ca sparks, which occur randomly in time and space, and integrate to produce global signaling events such as intra- and intercellular Ca waves and whole-cell Ca oscillations. Despite extensive experimental characterization in many systems, the transition from local random to global synchronous events is still poorly understood. Here we show that criticality, a ubiquitous dynamical phenomenon in nature, is responsible for the transition from local to global Ca signaling. We demonstrate this first in a computational model of Ca signaling in a cardiac myocyte and then experimentally in mouse ventricular myocytes, complemented by a theoretical agent-based model to delineate the underlying dynamics. We show that the interaction between the Ca release units via Ca-induced Ca release causes self-organization of Ca spark clusters. When the coupling between Ca release units is weak, the cluster-size distribution is exponential. As the interactions become strong, the cluster-size distribution changes to a power-law distribution, which is characteristic of criticality in thermodynamic and complex nonlinear systems, and facilitates the formation and propagation of Ca waves and whole-cell Ca oscillations. Our findings illustrate how criticality is harnessed by a biological cell to regulate Ca signaling via self-organization of random subcellular events into cellular-scale oscillations, and provide a general theoretical framework for the transition from local Ca signaling to global Ca signaling in biological cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nivala
- Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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38
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Nivala M, Qu Z. Calcium alternans in a couplon network model of ventricular myocytes: role of sarcoplasmic reticulum load. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2012; 303:H341-52. [PMID: 22661509 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00302.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca) alternans in cardiac myocytes have been shown in many experimental studies, and the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We recently developed a "3R theory" that links Ca sparks to whole cell Ca alternans through three critical properties: randomness of Ca sparks; recruitment of a Ca spark by neighboring Ca sparks; and refractoriness of Ca release units. In this study, we used computer simulation of a physiologically detailed mathematical model of a ventricular myocyte couplon network to study how sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca load and other physiological parameters, such as ryanodine receptor sensitivity, SR uptake rate, Na-Ca exchange strength, and Ca buffer levels affect Ca alternans in the context of 3R theory. We developed a method to calculate the parameters used in the 3R theory (i.e., the primary spark rate and the recruitment rate) from the physiologically detailed Ca cycling model and paced the model periodically to elicit Ca alternans. We show that alternans only occurs for an intermediate range of the SR Ca load, and the underlying mechanism can be explained via its effects on the 3Rs. Furthermore, we show that altering the physiological parameters not only directly changes the 3Rs but also alters the SR Ca load, having an indirect effect on the 3Rs as well. Therefore, our present study links the SR Ca load and other physiological parameters to whole cell Ca alternans through the framework of the 3R theory, providing a general mechanistic understanding of Ca alternans in ventricular myocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nivala
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
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