A computational model of excitation and contraction in uterine myocytes from the pregnant rat.

ABSTRACT: Aberrant uterine myometrial activities in humans are major health issues. However, the cellular and tissue mechanism(s) that maintain the uterine myometrium at rest during gestation, and that initiate and maintain long-lasting uterine contractions during delivery are incompletely understood. In this study we construct a computational model for describing the electrical activity (simple and complex action potentials), intracellular calcium dynamics and mechanical contractions of isolated uterine myocytes from the pregnant rat. The model reproduces variant types of action potentials - from spikes with a smooth plateau, to spikes with an oscillatory plateau, to bursts of spikes - that are seen during late gestation under different physiological conditions. The effects of the hormones oestradi

SUBMITTER: Testrow CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6002389 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature