We have investigated the role of intrinsic heterogeneities due to M cells (midmyocardial cells) in the generation and maintenance of reentrant excitations (spiral waves) in cardiac tissue using a detailed electrophysilogical model in the presence of long QT syndrome.
Our results show that with normal intercellular coupling, Early After
Depolarizations can not initiate a secondary wave and a reentrant
excitation while the dispersion of repolarization times can lead to the partial block of a wave initiated by a premature stimulus. The length of the subsequent reentry has been studied as a function of the geometry of the Mcell region and of the strength of the long QT syndrome. The geometry of the M cell region has been found to affect dramatically the length of the
reentry.
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