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Ricci E, Bartolucci C, Severi S. The virtual sinoatrial node: What did computational models tell us about cardiac pacemaking? PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 177:55-79. [PMID: 36374743 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery, the sinoatrial node (SAN) has represented a fascinating and complex matter of research. Despite over a century of discoveries, a full comprehension of pacemaking has still to be achieved. Experiments often produced conflicting evidence that was used either in support or against alternative theories, originating intense debates. In this context, mathematical descriptions of the phenomena underlying the heartbeat have grown in importance in the last decades since they helped in gaining insights where experimental evaluation could not reach. This review presents the most updated SAN computational models and discusses their contribution to our understanding of cardiac pacemaking. Electrophysiological, structural and pathological aspects - as well as the autonomic control over the SAN - are taken into consideration to reach a holistic view of SAN activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Ricci
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena (FC), Italy
| | - Chiara Bartolucci
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena (FC), Italy
| | - Stefano Severi
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", University of Bologna, Cesena (FC), Italy.
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Xu Y, Liu H, Hao D, Taggart M, Zheng D. Uterus Modeling from Cell to Organ Level: towards Better Understanding of Physiological Basis of Uterine Activity. IEEE Rev Biomed Eng 2020; 15:341-353. [PMID: 32915747 DOI: 10.1109/rbme.2020.3023535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The relatively limited understanding of the physiology of uterine activation prevents us from achieving optimal clinical outcomes for managing serious pregnancy disorders such as preterm birth or uterine dystocia. There is increasing awareness that multi-scale computational modeling of the uterus is a promising approach for providing a qualitative and quantitative description of uterine physiology. The overarching objective of such approach is to coalesce previously fragmentary information into a predictive and testable model of uterine activity that, in turn, informs the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these pressing clinical problems. This article assesses current progress towards this goal. We summarize the electrophysiological basis of uterine activation as presently understood and review recent research approaches to uterine modeling at different scales from single cell to tissue, whole organ and organism with particular focus on transformative data in the last decade. We describe the positives and limitations of these approaches, thereby identifying key gaps in our knowledge on which to focus, in parallel, future computational and biological research efforts.
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Clark AR, Kruger JA. Mathematical modeling of the female reproductive system: from oocyte to delivery. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2016; 9. [PMID: 27612162 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
From ovulation to delivery, and through the menstrual cycle, the female reproductive system undergoes many dynamic changes to provide an optimal environment for the embryo to implant, and to develop successfully. It is difficult ethically and practically to observe the system over the timescales involved in growth and development (often hours to days). Even in carefully monitored conditions clinicians and biologists can only see snapshots of the development process. Mathematical models are emerging as a key means to supplement our knowledge of the reproductive process, and to tease apart complexity in the reproductive system. These models have been used successfully to test existing hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of female infertility and pathological fetal development, and also to provide new experimentally testable hypotheses regarding the process of development. This new knowledge has allowed for improvements in assisted reproductive technologies and is moving toward translation to clinical practice via multiscale assessments of the dynamics of ovulation, development in pregnancy, and the timing and mechanics of delivery. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1353. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1353 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alys R Clark
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jennifer A Kruger
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Zheng D, Zhang L, Na Q, Liu S, Zhuang Y, Lv Y, Liu C. Enhanced expression of transient receptor potential channel 3 in uterine smooth muscle tissues of lipopolysaccharide-induced preterm delivery mice. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2016; 19:567-72. [PMID: 27403264 PMCID: PMC4923478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the influence of transient receptor potential channel 3 (TRPC3) on lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS) preterm delivery mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mice were randomly assigned to the four groups: an unpregnant group, a mid-pregnancy group (E15), a term delivery group, and an LPS-induced preterm delivery group (intraperitoneal injection LPS at 15 days). Uterine smooth muscles were obtained through caesarean section; TRPC3 expression was measured by real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. A specific inhibitor of TRPC3 (SKF96365) was injected into the LPS-induced preterm delivery group to determine whether the delivery interval was prolonged. RESULTS TRPC3 was primarily expressed in the uterine smooth muscle layer. In addition, the LPS-induced preterm delivery group had an obviously higher expression level of TRPC3 mRNA and protein compared with the unpregnant and E15 groups, which were close to term delivery. More importantly, SKF96365 prolongs the delivery interval of LPS-induced preterm delivery mice. CONCLUSION Enhanced expression of TRPC3 may be associated with LPS-induced preterm delivery in mice. The specific inhibitor of TRPC3 (SKF96365) may be helpful for clinical treatment of preterm delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongming Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Quan Na
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Sishi Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yanyan Zhuang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuan Lv
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Caixia Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China,Corresponding author: Caixia Liu. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China. Fax: +86 024 96615-43221;
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Herington JL, Swale DR, Brown N, Shelton EL, Choi H, Williams CH, Hong CC, Paria BC, Denton JS, Reese J. High-Throughput Screening of Myometrial Calcium-Mobilization to Identify Modulators of Uterine Contractility. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143243. [PMID: 26600013 PMCID: PMC4658040 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The uterine myometrium (UT-myo) is a therapeutic target for preterm labor, labor induction, and postpartum hemorrhage. Stimulation of intracellular Ca2+-release in UT-myo cells by oxytocin is a final pathway controlling myometrial contractions. The goal of this study was to develop a dual-addition assay for high-throughput screening of small molecular compounds, which could regulate Ca2+-mobilization in UT-myo cells, and hence, myometrial contractions. Primary murine UT-myo cells in 384-well plates were loaded with a Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent probe, and then screened for inducers of Ca2+-mobilization and inhibitors of oxytocin-induced Ca2+-mobilization. The assay exhibited robust screening statistics (Z´ = 0.73), DMSO-tolerance, and was validated for high-throughput screening against 2,727 small molecules from the Spectrum, NIH Clinical I and II collections of well-annotated compounds. The screen revealed a hit-rate of 1.80% for agonist and 1.39% for antagonist compounds. Concentration-dependent responses of hit-compounds demonstrated an EC50 less than 10μM for 21 hit-antagonist compounds, compared to only 7 hit-agonist compounds. Subsequent studies focused on hit-antagonist compounds. Based on the percent inhibition and functional annotation analyses, we selected 4 confirmed hit-antagonist compounds (benzbromarone, dipyridamole, fenoterol hydrobromide and nisoldipine) for further analysis. Using an ex vivo isometric contractility assay, each compound significantly inhibited uterine contractility, at different potencies (IC50). Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time that high-throughput small-molecules screening of myometrial Ca2+-mobilization is an ideal primary approach for discovering modulators of uterine contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Herington
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel R. Swale
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Naoko Brown
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Elaine L. Shelton
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Hyehun Choi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Charles H. Williams
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Charles C. Hong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Bibhash C. Paria
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jerod S. Denton
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jeff Reese
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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