Abstract
There is considerable evidence (1,13,14,22,23) to support the existence of low resistance end-to-end junctions (gap junctions or connexons (10,12,17) which lie in the intercalated discs that make up the associated end-to-end plasma membranes of cardiac muscle cells. Even though these gap junctions are low resistance, they represent a significant discontinuity in the conductive medium. Indeed, while these low resistance contacts are low in the sense of permitting an adequate current to flow and excite the postjunctional cell, an often quoted value for the intercalated disc resistance, 1 ohm-cm2, would be an impediment to axial current flow comparable to the entire myoplasm of the cell. In order to study the effects of these discontinuities due to the intercalated discs on propagation in cardiac muscle a “microscopic” discontinuous cable model which includes the intercalated discs was developed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Barr, L., M.M. Dewey and W. Berger. Propagation of action potentials and the structure of the nexus in cardiac muscle. J. Gen. Physiol. 48:797–823, 1965.
Beeler, G.W. and H. Reuter. Reconstruction of the action potential of ventricular myocardial fibres. J. Physiol. London 286:177–210, 1977.
Chapman, R.A. and C.H. Fry. An analysis of the cable properties of frog ventricular myocardium. J. Physiol. London 283:263–281, 1978.
Clerc, L. Directional differences of impulse spread in trabecular muscle from mammalian heart. J. Physiol. London 255:335–346, 1976.
Crank, J. and P. Nicolson. A practical method for numerical evaluation of solutions of partial differential equations of the heat conduction type. Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 43:50–77, 1947.
Heppner, D.B. and R. Plonsey. Simulation of electrical interaction of cardiac cells. Biophys J. 10:1057–1075, 1970.
Hodgkin, A.L. and Huxley, A.F. A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J. Physiol. London 117:500–544, 1952.
Lowenstein, W.R. Junctional intercellular communication: The cell-to-cell membrane channel. Physiol. Rev. 61:829–913, 1981.
McAllister, R.E., D. Noble and R.W. Tsien. Reconstruction of the electrical activity of cardiac Purkinje fibers. J. Physiol. London 251:1–59, 1975.
McNutt, N.S. and R.S. Weinstein. Membrane ultrastructure at mammalian intercellular junctions. Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 26:45–101, 1973.
Miller, W.T. III and D.B. Geselowitz. Simulation studies of the electrocardiogram: I.The normal heart. Circ. Res. 43:301–323, 1978.
Page, E. and L.P. McAllister. Studies on the intercalated discs of rat ventricular myocardial cells. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 43:388–411, 1973.
Page, E. and Y. Shibata. Permeable junctions between cardiac cells. Ann. Rev. Physiol. 43:431–442, 1981.
Pollack, G.H. Intercellular coupling in the atrioventricular node and other tissues of the rabbit heart. J. Physiol. London 255: 275–298, 1976.
Plonsey, R. Action potential sources and their volume conductor fields. Proc. IEEE 65:601–611, 1976.
Plonsey, R. and Y. Rudy. Electrocardiogram sources in a two dimensional anisotropic activation model. Med. Biol. Engr. Comput. 18:87–95, 1980.
Revel, J.P. and M.J. Karnovsky. Hexagonal arrays of subunits in intercellular junctions of the mouse heart and liver. J. Cell Biol. 12:571–588, 1962.
Rush, S. and H. Larsen . A practical algorithm for solving dynamic membrane equations. IEEE BME 25:389–392, 1978.
Sharp, G. and Joyner, R.W. Simulated propagation of cardiac action potentials. Biophysical J. 31:403–424, 1980.
Spach, M.S., W.T. Miller III, D.B. Geselowitz, R.C. Barr, J.M. Kootsey and E.A. Johnson. The discontinuous nature of propagation in normal cardiac muscle: Evidence for recurrent discontinuities of intra-cellular resistance that affect the membrane currents. Circulation Res. 48:39–56, 1981.
Spira, A.W. The nexus in the intercalated disc of the canine heart: Quantitative data for the estimation of its resistance. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 34:409–425, 1971.
Weidmann, S. The diffusion of radiopotassium across intercalated disks of mammalian cardiac muscle. J. Physiol. London 187:323–342, 1966.
Woodbury, J.W. and W.E. Crill. On the problem of impulse conduction in the atrium. In: Nervous Inhibition ,edited by L. Florey. New York: Plenum, 1961, pp. 24–35.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1983 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Diaz, P.J., Rudy, Y., Plonsey, R. (1983). A Model Study of the Effect of the Intercalated Discs on Discontinuous Propagation in Cardiac Muscle. In: Spitzer, J.J. (eds) Myocardial Injury. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 161. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4472-8_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4472-8_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-4474-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-4472-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive