Influence of gap junction dynamics on the stability of reentrant waves in cardiac tissue

Abstract

Constant conductances are often assumed when model- ing cardiac tissue. However experimental evidences have shown that gap junctions (GJ) actually connect adjacent cardiac myocytes. These GJ are complex proteins of the connexin family (Cx40; Cx43; Cx45 are the most common in human). These GJ modify the conductances between cardiac cell through a dynamical process. The aim of this study is to develop a bidomain model of the cardiac tis- sue where the dynamics of the connexins is also included. In particular we will compare the differences associated with the use of a monodomain versus bidomain formula- tion in inducing intra-cellular conductance variations. We have found that the monodomain formulation gives con- ductance variations a factor four to five larger with respect to the bidomain formulation.