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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction Coupling
Published on: August 1, 2016
Effects of magnesium on cardiac excitation-contraction coupling
Anushka P Michailova1, Mary Ellen Belik, Andrew D McCulloch
1Department of Bioengineering, PFBH 241, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA. amihaylo@bioeng.ucsd.edu
Objective:
Magnesium regulates a large number of cellular processes. Small changes in intracellular free Mg(2+) ([Mg(2+)](i)) may have important effects on cardiac excitability and contractility. We investigated the effects of [Mg(2+)](i) on cardiac excitation-contraction coupling.
Methods:
We used our ionic-metabolic model that incorporates equations for Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) buffering and transport by ATP and ADP and equations for MgATP regulation of ion transporters (Na(+)-K(+) pump, sarcolemmal and sarcoplasmic Ca(2+) pumps).
Results:
Model results indicate that variations in cytosolic Mg(2+) level might sensitively affect diastolic and systolic Ca(2+), sarcoplasmic Ca(2+) content, Ca(2+) influx through L-type channels, efficiency of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger and action potential shape. The analysis suggests that the most important reason for the observed effects is a modified normal function of sarcoplasmic Ca(2+)-ATPase pump by altered diastolic MgATP levels.
Conclusion:
The model is able to reproduce qualitatively a sequence of events that correspond well with experimental observations during cardiac excitation-contraction coupling in mammalian ventricular myocytes.
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