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allied
academies
Journal of Nutrition and Human Health | Volume 2
&
October 29-30, 2018 | London, UK
Joint Event
Nutrition and Fitness
16
th
International Conference on
3
rd
World Congress on
Card i o l ogy
Cardiac Excitation – Contraction Coupling
Mark Cannell
University of Bristol, UK
C
alcium signalling is pivotal for cardiac function, but the
complex interaction between cell structure, protein
expression and function is far from clear. While the
discovery of calcium sparks now forms a cornerstone for our
understanding of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling,
the problem of calcium spark termination has been resistant
to clarification. Using detailed computer models, we now
have a robust explanation of calcium spark termination that
depends on the detailed microanatomy of the cardiac cell.
Furthermore, we have found that disrupted cell anatomy, in
the form of de-tabulation, is very closely linked to the loss
of contractile performance seen in heart failure. Loss of
t-tubules will reduce the efficiency of excitation-contraction
coupling but also promote “late calcium sparks” which
prolong the calcium transient and would be pro-arrhythmic.
These late calcium signalling events are likely to become a
new area for intensive study as we attempt to link deranged
calcium signalling to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
e:
Mark.Cannell@bristol.ac.uk