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Bursting calcium rotors in cultured cardiac myocyte monolayers

1998; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 95; Issue: 17 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.95.17.10283

1091-6490

Gil Bub, Leon Glass, Nelson G. Publicover, Alvin Shrier,

Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies

Rotating waves (rotors) of cellular activity were observed in nonconfluent cultures of embryonic chick heart cells by using a macroscopic imaging system that detected fluorescence from intracellular Ca 2+ . Unlike previous observations of rotors or spiral waves in other systems, the rotors did not persist but exhibited a repetitive pattern of spontaneous onset and offset leading to a bursting rhythm. Similar dynamics were observed in a cellular automaton model of excitable media that incorporates spontaneous initiation of activity, and a decrease of excitability as a consequence of rapid activity (fatigue). These results provide a mechanism for bursting dynamics in normal and pathological biological processes.