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Maltsev AV, Stern MD, Lakatta EG, Maltsev VA. A novel conceptual model of heart rate autonomic modulation based on a small-world modular structure of the sinoatrial node. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1276023. [PMID: 38148905 PMCID: PMC10750401 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1276023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The present view on heartbeat initiation is that a primary pacemaker cell or a group of cells in the sinoatrial node (SAN) center paces the rest of the SAN and the atria. However, recent high-resolution imaging studies show a more complex paradigm of SAN function that emerges from heterogeneous signaling, mimicking brain cytoarchitecture and function. Here, we developed and tested a new conceptual numerical model of SAN organized similarly to brain networks featuring a modular structure with small-world topology. In our model, a lower rate module leads action potential (AP) firing in the basal state and during parasympathetic stimulation, whereas a higher rate module leads during β-adrenergic stimulation. Such a system reproduces the respective shift of the leading pacemaker site observed experimentally and a wide range of rate modulation and robust function while conserving energy. Since experimental studies found functional modules at different scales, from a few cells up to the highest scale of the superior and inferior SAN, the SAN appears to feature hierarchical modularity, i.e., within each module, there is a set of sub-modules, like in the brain, exhibiting greater robustness, adaptivity, and evolvability of network function. In this perspective, our model offers a new mainframe for interpreting new data on heterogeneous signaling in the SAN at different scales, providing new insights into cardiac pacemaker function and SAN-related cardiac arrhythmias in aging and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Victor A. Maltsev
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Moise N, Weinberg SH. Emergent activity, heterogeneity, and robustness in a calcium feedback model of the sinoatrial node. Biophys J 2023; 122:1613-1632. [PMID: 36945778 PMCID: PMC10183324 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the primary pacemaker of the heart. SAN activity emerges at an early point in life and maintains a steady rhythm for the lifetime of the organism. The ion channel composition and currents of SAN cells can be influenced by a variety of factors. Therefore, the emergent activity and long-term stability imply some form of dynamical feedback control of SAN activity. We adapt a recent feedback model-previously utilized to describe control of ion conductances in neurons-to a model of SAN cells and tissue. The model describes a minimal regulatory mechanism of ion channel conductances via feedback between intracellular calcium and an intrinsic target calcium level. By coupling a SAN cell to the calcium feedback model, we show that spontaneous electrical activity emerges from quiescence and is maintained at steady state. In a 2D SAN tissue model, spatial variability in intracellular calcium targets lead to significant, self-organized heterogeneous ion channel expression and calcium transients throughout the tissue. Furthermore, multiple pacemaking regions appear, which interact and lead to time-varying cycle length, demonstrating that variability in heart rate is an emergent property of the feedback model. Finally, we demonstrate that the SAN tissue is robust to the silencing of leading cells or ion channel knockouts. Thus, the calcium feedback model can reproduce and explain many fundamental emergent properties of activity in the SAN that have been observed experimentally based on a minimal description of intracellular calcium and ion channel regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolae Moise
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Seth H Weinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.
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Wirth AN, Tsutsui K, Maltsev VA, Lakatta EG. Adenosine reduces sinoatrial node cell action potential firing rate by uncoupling its membrane and calcium clocks. Front Physiol 2022; 13:977807. [PMID: 36505046 PMCID: PMC9730041 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.977807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous action potential (AP) firing rate of sinoatrial nodal cells (SANC) is regulated by a system of intracellular Ca2+ and membrane ion current clocks driven by Ca2+-calmodulin-activated adenylyl cyclase-protein kinase-A signaling. The mean AP-cycle length (APCL) and APCL variability inform on the effectiveness of clock coupling. Endogenous ATP metabolite adenosine binds to adenosine receptors (A1, A3) that couple to Gi protein-coupled receptors, reducing spontaneous AP firing rate via Gβγ signaling that activates IKAch,Ado. Adenosine also inhibits adenylyl cyclase activity via Gαi signaling, impacting cAMP-mediated protein kinase-A-dependent protein phosphorylation. We hypothesize that in addition to IKAch,Ado activation, adenosine impacts also Ca2+ via Gαi signaling and that both effects reduce AP firing rate by reducing the effectiveness of the Ca2+ and membrane clock coupling. To this end, we measured Ca2+ and membrane potential characteristics in enzymatically isolated single rabbit SANC. 10 µM adenosine substantially increased both the mean APCL (on average by 43%, n = 10) and AP beat-to-beat variability from 5.1 ± 1.7% to 7.2 ± 2.0% (n = 10) measured via membrane potential and 5.0 ± 2.2% to 10.6 ± 5.9% (n = 40) measured via Ca2+ (assessed as the coefficient of variability = SD/mean). These effects were mediated by hyperpolarization of the maximum diastolic membrane potential (membrane clock effect) and suppression of diastolic local Ca2+releases (LCRs) (Ca2+-clock effect): as LCR size distributions shifted to smaller values, the time of LCR occurrence during diastolic depolarization (LCR period) became prolonged, and the ensemble LCR signal became reduced. The tight linear relationship of coupling between LCR period to the APCL in the presence of adenosine "drifted" upward and leftward, i.e. for a given LCR period, APCL was prolonged, becoming non-linear indicating clock uncoupling. An extreme case of uncoupling occurred at higher adenosine concentrations (>100 µM): small stochastic LCRs failed to self-organize and synchronize to the membrane clock, thus creating a failed attempt to generate an AP resulting in arrhythmia and cessation of AP firing. Thus, the effects of adenosine to activate Gβγ and IKACh,Ado and to activate Gαi, suppressing adenylyl cyclase activity, both contribute to the adenosine-induced increase in the mean APCL and APCL variability by reducing the fidelity of clock coupling and AP firing rate.
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Maltsev AV, Stern MD, Maltsev VA. Disorder in Ca2+ release unit locations confers robustness but cuts flexibility of heart pacemaking. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:e202113061. [PMID: 35943725 PMCID: PMC9366202 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202113061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitation-contraction coupling kinetics is dictated by the action potential rate of sinoatrial-nodal cells. These cells generate local Ca releases (LCRs) that activate Na/Ca exchanger current, which accelerates diastolic depolarization and determines the pace. LCRs are generated by clusters of ryanodine receptors, Ca release units (CRUs), residing in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. While CRU distribution exhibits substantial heterogeneity, its functional importance remains unknown. Using numerical modeling, here we show that with a square lattice distribution of CRUs, Ca-induced-Ca-release propagation during diastolic depolarization is insufficient for pacemaking within a broad range of realistic ICaL densities. Allowing each CRU to deviate randomly from its lattice position allows sparks to propagate, as observed experimentally. As disorder increases, the CRU distribution exhibits larger empty spaces and simultaneously CRU clusters, as in Poisson clumping. Propagating within the clusters, Ca release becomes synchronized, increasing action potential rate and reviving pacemaker function of dormant/nonfiring cells. However, cells with fully disordered CRU positions could not reach low firing rates and their β-adrenergic-receptor stimulation effect was substantially decreased. Inclusion of Cav1.3, a low-voltage activation L-type Ca channel isoform into ICaL, strongly increases recruitment of CRUs to fire during diastolic depolarization, increasing robustness of pacemaking and complementing effects of CRU distribution. Thus, order/disorder in CRU locations along with Cav1.3 expression regulates pacemaker function via synchronization of CRU firing. Excessive CRU disorder and/or overexpression of Cav1.3 boosts pacemaker function in the basal state, but limits the rate range, which may contribute to heart rate range decline with age and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V. Maltsev
- School of Mathematics, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Michael D. Stern
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Victor A. Maltsev
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD
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Maltsev AV, Stern MD, Lakatta EG, Maltsev VA. Functional Heterogeneity of Cell Populations Increases Robustness of Pacemaker Function in a Numerical Model of the Sinoatrial Node Tissue. Front Physiol 2022; 13:845634. [PMID: 35574456 PMCID: PMC9091312 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.845634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Each heartbeat is initiated by specialized pacemaker cells operating within the sinoatrial node (SAN). While individual cells within SAN tissue exhibit substantial heterogeneity of their electrophysiological parameters and Ca cycling, the role of this heterogeneity for cardiac pacemaker function remains mainly unknown. Here we investigated the problem numerically in a 25 × 25 square grid of connected coupled-clock Maltsev-Lakatta cell models. The tissue models were populated by cells with different degree of heterogeneity of the two key model parameters, maximum L-type Ca current conductance (gCaL) and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca pumping rate (Pup). Our simulations showed that in the areas of Pup-gCaL parametric space at the edge of the system stability, where action potential (AP) firing is absent or dysrhythmic in SAN tissue models populated with identical cells, rhythmic AP firing can be rescued by populating the tissues with heterogeneous cells. This robust SAN function is synergistic with respect to heterogeneity in gCaL and Pup and can be further strengthened by clustering of cells with similar properties. The effect of cell heterogeneity is not due to a simple summation of activity of intrinsically firing cells naturally present in heterogeneous SAN; rather AP firing cells locally and critically interact with non-firing/dormant cells. When firing cells prevail, they recruit many dormant cells to fire, strongly enhancing overall SAN function; and vice versa, prevailing dormant cells suppress AP firing in cells with intrinsic automaticity and halt SAN function. The transitions between firing and non-firing states of the system are sharp, resembling phase transitions in statistical physics. Furthermore, robust function of heterogeneous SAN tissue requires weak cell coupling, a known property of the central area of SAN where cardiac impulse emerges; stronger cell coupling reduces AP firing rate and ultimately halts SAN automaticity at the edge of stability.
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Louradour J, Bortolotti O, Torre E, Bidaud I, Lamb N, Fernandez A, Le Guennec JY, Mangoni ME, Mesirca P. L-Type Cav1.3 Calcium Channels Are Required for Beta-Adrenergic Triggered Automaticity in Dormant Mouse Sinoatrial Pacemaker Cells. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071114. [PMID: 35406677 PMCID: PMC8997967 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Sinoatrial node cells (SANC) automaticity is generated by functional association between the activity of plasmalemmal ion channels and local diastolic intracellular Ca2+ release (LCR) from ryanodine receptors. Strikingly, most isolated SANC exhibit a “dormant” state, whereas only a fraction shows regular firing as observed in intact SAN. Recent studies showed that β-adrenergic stimulation can initiate spontaneous firing in dormant SANC, though this mechanism is not entirely understood. Methods: To investigate the role of L-type Cav1.3 Ca2+ channels in the adrenergic regulation of automaticity in dormant SANC, we used a knock-in mouse strain in which the sensitivity of L-type Cav1.2 α1 subunits to dihydropyridines (DHPs) was inactivated (Cav1.2DHP−/−), enabling the selective pharmacological inhibition of Cav1.3 by DHPs. Results: In dormant SANC, β-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol (ISO) induced spontaneous action potentials (AP) and Ca2+ transients, which were completely arrested with concomitant perfusion of the DHP nifedipine. In spontaneously firing SANC at baseline, Cav1.3 inhibition completely reversed the effect of β-adrenergic stimulation on AP and the frequency of Ca2+ transients. Confocal calcium imaging of SANC showed that the β-adrenergic-induced synchronization of LCRs is regulated by the activity of Cav1.3 channels. Conclusions: Our study shows a novel role of Cav1.3 channels in initiating and maintaining automaticity in dormant SANC upon β-adrenergic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Louradour
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France; (J.L.); (O.B.); (E.T.); (I.B.)
- LabEx Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics (ICST), 34090 Montpellier, France
- PhyMedExp, Université de Montpellier, INSERM U1046, UMR CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France;
| | - Olivier Bortolotti
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France; (J.L.); (O.B.); (E.T.); (I.B.)
- LabEx Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics (ICST), 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Eleonora Torre
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France; (J.L.); (O.B.); (E.T.); (I.B.)
- LabEx Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics (ICST), 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Bidaud
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France; (J.L.); (O.B.); (E.T.); (I.B.)
- LabEx Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics (ICST), 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Ned Lamb
- Mammalian Stem Cell Biology Group, Institute of Human Genetics, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France; (N.L.); (A.F.)
| | - Anne Fernandez
- Mammalian Stem Cell Biology Group, Institute of Human Genetics, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France; (N.L.); (A.F.)
| | - Jean-Yves Le Guennec
- PhyMedExp, Université de Montpellier, INSERM U1046, UMR CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France;
| | - Matteo E. Mangoni
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France; (J.L.); (O.B.); (E.T.); (I.B.)
- LabEx Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics (ICST), 34090 Montpellier, France
- Correspondence: (M.E.M.); (P.M.)
| | - Pietro Mesirca
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34090 Montpellier, France; (J.L.); (O.B.); (E.T.); (I.B.)
- LabEx Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics (ICST), 34090 Montpellier, France
- Correspondence: (M.E.M.); (P.M.)
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