Numerical Simulation of Excitation-Contraction in Isolated Cardiomyocytes

Abstract

We present and study a mathematical model to simulate the calcium flux and contractile activity of the cardiomyocyte, resorting on the Finite Element Method. This Model of cardiac cells provide the possibility to understand the biochemistry and biomechanics of cardiac cells and cardiovascular diseases. Heart Failure is considered the ultimate cardiac disease, a condition with no effective cure which is highly related with the function of cardiomyocytes and consequently with the concentration of calcium, affecting the contractile activity of the cardiomyocyte. In order to test our model's performance, several tests were applied varying the local active cellular tension driven by the intracellular calcium concentration and the localization of the main calcium influx. The results are expressed in the graphics of calcium concentration over time, maximum cardiomyocyte contraction and the gradient of calcium diffusion. Our results show that the behaviour of our models is faithful to what is known to be true with cell's physiology and pathological conditions.