2.1.1 Normal Cardiac Electrophysiology Flashcards
What is an important cellular feature in the conduction of cardiac action potentials?
Gap junctions
D. Increased rate of phase 4 depolarization in SA node cells
What effect does sympathetic stimulation have on the calcium window?
Larger calcium window (shifts the activation curve towards more negative potentials, which mean they open sooner during depolarization)
What four characteristics does the magnitude of the L-type calcium channel current in the SA and AV nodes determine?
- Threshold potential
- Amplitude of the AP
- Rate of rise of the AP
- Conduction Velocity (CV)
Note: These are the same characteristics affected by the magnitude of sodium channel current in nervous tissue.
Increasing If will have what effects on MDP and phase 4?
Maximum diastolic potential (MDP) will be more positive
Phase 4 more steep (reaching threshold sooner)
Phase 0 depolarization of atrial myocytes is seen as what on the ECG?
P wave
Describe the sequence of calcium channel gate configurations as it progresses through a ventricular action potential.
What effect does NE have on delayed rectifier K+ current?
Increases K+ current by causing the delayed rectifier K+ channel activation gates to open sooner
Increasing SYM firing to the heart will increase ICaL and conduction velocity in the AV node. How will this show up on an ECG?
Decreased P-R interval
During what phase of the action potential does the activation gate of the funny sodium channel open?
Repolarization
(This is how the funny sodium channel got its name b/c all other voltage-gated channels open during depolarization)
How is a CaL channel opened?
Phosphorylation
What effect does norepinephrine have on activation curve of funny sodium channels?
It shifts the curve to be more postiive causing the funny sodium channels to open sooner during repolarization
B. Potassium current through delayed rectifier potassium channels contributes to the magnitude of the maximum diastolic potential
What are two ways to possibly introduce a reentrant loop into a ventricle?
Slow CV (conduction velocity)
Decreased duration of ARP
What does MDP stand for? What is it’s significance?
Maximum diastolic potential, most negative potential in the SA node (normally about ~50mV)
B. decreased duration of the ventricular AP
What structures of the heart have a calcium-dependent action potential? Describe the shape of this AP.
SA node and AV node
D. Increased sodium current
Compare and contrast the AV and SA node:
Type of action potential, ionic currents, RMP, firing rate, slope of phase 4
Same
Ca-dependent action potential
Same ionic currents at play
No stable resting potential
Different
AV has lower intrinsic firing rate
Phase 4 in the AV node is less steep than SA node