Extracellular Perinexal Separation Is a Principal Determinant of Cardiac Conduction.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cardiac conduction is understood to occur through gap junctions. Recent evidence supports ephaptic coupling as another mechanism of electrical communication in the heart. Conduction via gap junctions predicts a direct relationship between conduction velocity (CV) and bulk extracellular resistance. By contrast, ephaptic theory is premised on the existence of a biphasic relationship between CV and the volume of specialized extracellular clefts within intercalated discs such as the perinexus. Our objective was to determine the relationship between ventricular CV and structural changes to micro- and nanoscale extracellular spaces.

Methods

Conduction and Cx43 (connexin43) protein expression were quantified from optically mapped guinea pig whole-heart preparations perfu

SUBMITTER: Adams WP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10561697 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature