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Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

The normal cardiac rhythm is a synchronized electrical activity that facilitates the regular and coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. This process is essential for efficient blood circulation throughout the body. The fundamental elements involved in establishing and maintaining this rhythm include the unique electrical properties of cardiac muscle cells, the sinoatrial (SA) node's pacemaker function, the specialized conducting system, and the ionic mechanisms underlying each phase of...

Structure of Cardiac Muscles

Structure of Cardiac Muscles

Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle found exclusively in the heart. Its unique structural and functional characteristics enable the heart to perform its vital role of pumping blood throughout the body continuously and rhythmically. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, possess an endomysium and perimysium but do not have an epimysium.
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias are irregular heart rhythms occurring when the heart's electrical impulses become abnormal. These disturbances can lead to various symptoms, depending on their severity and the underlying cause. Some common factors contributing to arrhythmias include hypoxia, ischemia, electrolyte imbalances, excessive catecholamine exposure, drug toxicity, and muscle overstretching. Arrhythmias can be classified into two main types based on the rate and site of origin of abnormal heart rhythms.

Conduction System of the Heart

Conduction System of the Heart

The cardiac conduction system produces and transmits electrical impulses that prompt myocardial contraction, ensuring efficient heart function. This intricate system ensures that the heart beats in a coordinated and efficient manner, beginning with the atria and then the ventricles. The conduction system optimizes cardiac output by maintaining this precise sequence, which is crucial for adequate blood circulation.
This system relies on the unique properties of nodal and Purkinje cells:...

Conduction System of the Heart

Conduction System of the Heart

Autorhythmicity is a term that refers to the heart's inherent ability to generate electrical signals and instigate muscle contractions. This self-regulating conduction system within the heart consists of two key components: the pacemaker cells and specialized conducting cells.
The pacemaker cells are located in two primary nodes: the sinoatrial (SA) node and the atrioventricular (AV) node. The SA node pacemaker cells can autonomously depolarize, triggering an action potential that leads to the...

Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac action potentials are essential for proper heart function, enabling the rhythmic contractions needed for adequate blood circulation. Nodal cells and Purkinje fibers, specialized for electrical conduction, generate these action potentials.
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials

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Micropatterned Magneto-Rheological Elastomers to Drive Changes in Cardiomyocyte Alignment

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The role of cardiac tissue alignment in modulating electrical function.

Chiung-Yin Chung¹, Harold Bien, Emilia Entcheva

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.

Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology

|October 6, 2007

Summary

Cardiac cell arrangement significantly impacts electrical stability through altered electrotonus and molecular signaling. Understanding tissue anisotropy is crucial for arrhythmia models and treatments.

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Electromechanical Assessment of Optogenetically Modulated Cardiomyocyte Activity

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Published on: March 5, 2020

Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Physiology
Cardiac Electrophysiology
Biophysics

Background:

Cardiac arrhythmias often stem from ion channel remodeling due to pathology.
Multicellular effects like anisotropy and altered cell coupling influence electrical stability via electrotonus.
Structural heart diseases, such as hypertrophy and infarction, highlight the relevance of these multicellular effects.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally investigate how cardiac cell arrangement and connectivity affect tissue function.
To determine if these effects are dependent on the direction of electrical wave propagation.
To elucidate the role of electrotonus in modulating cardiac electrical stability.

Main Methods:

Utilized an in vitro cardiac tissue model to study electrical properties.
Assessed action potential duration (APD) and conduction velocity restitution.
Analyzed cell size and atrial natriuretic factor secretion as indicators of hypertrophy.

Main Results:

Cardiac cell arrangement alters electrical stability through mechanisms both dependent and independent of wave propagation direction.
Steepened restitution of APD and conduction velocity observed in the direction of cell alignment.
Prolonged APD and calcium transient duration in anisotropic networks, irrespective of propagation direction, linked to increased cell size and hypertrophy markers.

Conclusions:

Anisotropic cardiac tissue structure significantly modulates electrical stability via electrotonus and molecular signaling.
Tissue alignment is a critical factor for accurate arrhythmia generation models.
Considering tissue alignment is essential for developing effective therapeutic strategies for cardiac arrhythmias.