Session P35.5

A Simulation Platform for Electrical Activities of Cardiac Cells(Si-PEAC)

YF Yuan, KQ Wang, HG Zhang*, CY Zou

Harbin Institute of Technology
Harbin, China

With development of cardiac electrophysiology and computing power, various biophysically detailed computer models of cardiac electrical activity have been developed to simulate the electrical activities if cardiac systems at cellular, tissue and organ levels. In this study, we developed a simulation platform for electrical activities of cardiac cells (Si-PEAC) with aims to provide a user-friendly interface to study the ionic mechanisms underlying the genesis of cardiac electrical action potentials under various physiological and pathological conditions.
Si-PEAC distinguishes itself with the following advanced features. A) It provides a user-friendly interface. The properties of a cardiac cell such as gated variables, individual ion current, and membrane action potentials can be computed by the platform automatically. Simulation results can be output as graphs and tables. Plots can be repainted by customers. B) It performs virtual voltage-clamp experiments. Users can discretionarily define their voltage clamp protocol with square, sine/cosine or stochastic signals. Changes of individual ion current under voltage clamp and the current – voltage relationship curve (I-V curve) can be generated automatically through the platform. C) There is a built-in algorithm to compute action potential duration (APD) restitution curve. Standard protocols including the s1-s2 protocol and the dynamic protocol have been programmed in the software to investigate the relationship between the APD and a variety of stimulus time intervals. APD restitution curve can be characterized automatically. D) It performs simulations of drug actions or diseased conditions. The system can simulate complicated physiological and pathological conditions by blocking ion channels thoroughly or partially, changing of intercellular or extracellular ion concentrations and redefining properties of activation or inactivation of ion channels. E) It is easy to perform model updating based on newly available experiment data. Experimental data can be imported into this system with .txt files or .jpg files. The users can modify parameters or variables of cell models based on the experimental data, or validate their simulations against the data.
This system is developed by Java programming and is compatible to Windows and Linux systems. So far, Si-PEAC has been tested for different cell models that include the Luo-Rudy model for ventricular cell, the Nygren et al. model for human atrial cells and the Zhang et al. model for rabbit sinoatrial node cells. In conclusion, Si-PEAC provides a powerful tool to study the electrical activities of cardiac cells and the ionic mechanism(s) underlying the genesis of cardiac action potentials.

(Abstract Control Number: 201)