Physiology of the Heart Flashcards
List the transportation roles of the heart and circulation
Transporting:
- Vitamins
- Nutrients
- Oxygen/CO2
- Hormones
- Immunoglobulins
- RBC/WBCs
Give the thermoregulatory roles of the heart and circulation
- Counter-current exchange mechanism
- Circulation of the skin
Give the 3 major parts of the circulation
- Heart
- Systemic circulation
- Lung circulation
Describe Starling’s effect
To increase load, the heart automatically reacts with extra work
without hormonal/neuronal factors
Describe the heart’s work load status during rest
The heart is working in the lower range of its total working capacities
This is ensured by parasympathetic predominance
A decrease of parasympathetic activity may cause…
An increase in the mechanical performance of the heart
The autonomity of the heart rythmn is due to…
Rythmn generators in the SA node
Give the main parameter of cardiac mechanical performance
Cardiac output
The volume of blood propelled into the aorta from the left ventricle per unit time
List the layers of the heart
- Endocardium
- Myocardium
- Epicardium
- Pericardium
Give the contractile components of the myocardium
- Heart muscle fibres (working fibres)
- Stretching enhances their force-generating capability
Give the non-contractile components of the myocardium
- Serially attached elastic elements (SEC)
- Parallelly attached elastic elements (PEC)
- Collagen
List the functions of the pericardium
- Fixation: keeps the heart in the mediastinum
- Protection from infection from other organs
- Prevents excessive dilation of the heart during hypervolemia
- Lubricates the heart
Describe fetal circulation in relation to the pulmonary circulation
- Lungs not functioning
- Blood bypasses lungs → foramen ovale
- Between L & R atrium
Describe the closing of foramen ovale
- Pressure in left atrium increases
- Flap valve covers foramen ovale
- After 1 year, the foramen completely closes
- It is then regarded as fossa ovalis
- What percentage of the population does the foramen ovale not seal?
- What is the condition called?
- 30%
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO)
Name the fetal vessel between a. aorta thoracica and a. pulmonalis
Ductus botallo
When does ductus botallo close?
4 weeks postpartum
List the excitable varieties of cardiac tissue
- Pacemakers
- Conductive system
- Working fibres
Purpose of the Aschoff-Tawara (AV) node
Delays the atrial signal
So atrial contraction precedes the ventricular contraction
Resting membrane potential (RMP)
Diastole:
- -90mV
- Spontaneous depolarisation followed by AP
- RMP doesn’t exist in pacemaker cells
Describe action potential (AP)
- Stimulation
- _Ion channel_s of membrane open
- Ion exchange between the two sides
- Action potential
Pacemaker potentials
Pacemaker cells
- Located: SA / AV node
- Allow continuous generation of excitation
- No RMP
- Repolarisation: Transmembrane potential -55mV
- Automatic depolarisation follows
This electrical activity is expressed in…
Sinoatrial (SA) node
This electrical activity is expressed in…
Ventricular muscle
Pacemaker action potential is…
- Slower/faster
and
- Lower/higher
…than cardiomyocytes
- Slower
- Lower
Round pacemaker cells
Sites of the generation of excitation
Elongated/slender cells
Conduct/synchronise excitation generated in round pacemaker cells
Maximal depolarisation potential (MDP)
No RMP developed after the previous AP reaches -55mV
- K+ channels close
- Na+ channels open
- Ca2+ channels open
- Na+ channels close
This electrical pattern is representative of…
Pacemaker cells
- Ca2+ channels close
- K+ channels open
- K+ channels close
- Na+ channels open
Overshoot
+15 mV
MDP
SDD
Threshold potential
Maximal diastolic potential; virtual resting potential (MDP)
- Slow Na+ channels open spontaneously
- Slow depolarisation begins
Spontaneous diastolic depolarisation
No RMP until threshold potential
‘Overshoot’
- Ca2+ influx and only slow Na+ channels
- +5/+15mV (Lower than working fibres)
Repolarisation
- K+ efflux until MDP
What does Ih (hyperpolarisation activated) channel opening trigger?
If Threshold of -40mV is reached, the following will open:
- Type-T, rianodin sensitive calcium channel
- Type-L DHP sensitive calcium channel
The opening of Type-T and Type-L channels causes…
- Calcium to flow from the EC into the cell
- Causes a transient Ca-influx
The period from MDP to threshold potential is known as…
Spontaneous diastolic depolarisation (SDD)
Depolarisation of the SA node is due to which channels?
Long-lasting Ca2+ channels
Why is the membrane potential of the ‘0’ phase so steep?
- There are no fast Na+ channels in the membrane of the round cells
- Only long lasting Ca-channels determine this phase
What occurs from the point of potassium channels opening?
- Efflux of K+ ions from cell
- Repolarisation until MDP is reached
- Activation of Ih channels starts a new cycle
Term given to the frequency of contraction
Chronotrop
Term given to the speed of conduction
Dromotrop
Term given to the threshold of contraction
Bathmotrop
Term given to the force of contraction
Inotrop
Vagus escape
- Stimulation of n. vagus
- Effectiveness of further stimulation disappears
- Switch from nomotop → heterotop excitation
- AV node now generates rythmn, not SA node
Which nerve controls heart rate?
N. vagus
Describe the stimulation of SA node round cells
Sympathetic effect
- Stimulation of B1-receptor
- Same effect triggered by norepinephrine and epinephrine
- Parasympathetic suppression, enhancing the effect
Describe how stimulation of B1-Rec can cause sympathetic effect
- Stimulation of G-protein mediated IC cAMP increase
- Na+ & K+ channels open
- MDP shifts upward, steepness of SDD increases
- Threshold reduced
- Heart rate increase
Describe parasympathetic effects altering heart rate
-
Acetylcholine stimulates muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on round cells
- cAMP decreases
- MDP shifted down
- SDD slope decreases
- Threshold potential elevates
- Hyperpolarisation
- Heart rate decreases
Describe the metabotropic effect on heart rate
- Acetylcholine opens metabotropic K+ channels
- Further hyperpolarisation
- Decreased frequency
Heart conduction in small animals
- Subendocardial conduction
- Conducting fibres don’t penetrate working muscle deeply
Heart conduction in large animals
- Subepicardial conduction
- Fibres pass deeply into the ventricle
Bachmann’s bundle
Left posterior bundle
Signal arriving from the SA node
Nomotop excitation
A signal arriving from AV node
Heterotop excitation
Anulus fibrosus
- Represents electric resistance
- Synchronises atrioventric cooperation
How long is the indicated period?
~200 ms
What is shown?
Action potential of a working fibre
Resting Membrane Potential
-90 mV
Depolarisation
- Na+ influx
Overshoot
+25 mV
Rapid repolarisation
- K+ efflux (early)
- Cl- influx
Plateau
- Ca2+ influx
- K+ efflux (slow)
Rapid repolarisation
- K+ efflux (late)
Late hyperpolarisation
- K+ efflux (late)
What is the purpose of the plateau phase?
Blocks premature AP generation/contraction
Ion flow of working fibres during action potential
- Depolarisation
- Rapid repolarisation
- Plateau
- Rapid repolarisation
- Later hyperpolarisation
The flow of charges across the membrane is dependent on…
- Permeability
- Electrochemical gradient
Metabotropic channels
- Under the control of hormones + neurotransmitters
- Conductance properties of these channels altered
- Change in heart function
Which channels are responsible for action potential?
Voltage-dependent Na+ channels
Which channels open in each phase of the AP?
Phase 1: Early potassium channels
Phase 2: Slow potassium channels
Phase 3: Late potassium channels
The effect of the overshoot
- Activation of calcium channels
- Calcium ions enter the cell
- Repolarisation is elongated
The duration of the plateau phase is:
- Longer closer to the…
- Shorter closer to the…
Longer closer to the endocardium
Shorter in the epicardium
Absolute refractory phase (ARP)
- AP cannot be initiated
Relative refractory phase (RRP)
- Strong stimulus may initiate AP
Supernormal phase (Refractory phase)
- A slight stimulus may initiate AP
- AP will be submaximal
Absolute refractory phase
- No stimulus
- A new action potential is elicited before the plateau
Relative refractory phase
- A stimulus is given after the plateau
- Before reaching threshold potential
- Can cause a new AP if strong enough
Supernormal phase
- Between threshold and RMP
- Slight stimulus: Gives new AP
- Premature new contraction
- Can be fatal in the ventricle (fibrillation)
Atrial fibrillation
- Electric stimulation of the atrium (repeated contractions)
- Ventricle maintains normal circulatory pressure
- Non-fatal
Ventricular fibrillation
- Normal blood pressure cannot be maintained
- May drop to ‘0’
- Systole and diastole disappears (Fatal)
Defibrillation
Strong electric current:
- Desynchronisation stops
- SA node synchronised again
- Normal rhythm
- Nomotop excitation returns
Difference between AP and mechanogram of cardiac muscle
Mechanogram is almost parallel to AP
Difference between AP and mechanogram of skeletal muscle
- No plateau phase
- AP lasts for 1 millisec, compared with 200 millisec of heart
- Mechanogram develops only after AP has vanished
Electromechanical coupling
Connection between electric stimulus and mechanical signal