A novel equivalent circuit model for gap-connected cells.

ABSTRACT

Gap junctions connect neighbouring cells, providing the intercellular communication that is essential for cell growth regulation, for example. There is some evidence that gap communication changes upon exposure to electromagnetic (EM) fields. In previous work, we performed detailed finite element method (FEM) modelling of gap junction connected cells exposed to EM fields. For cell configurations, the presence of gap junctions influences the transmembrane potential and its frequency behaviour. The relaxation frequency cannot be accurately predicted by previously developed simplified models. We present a novel equivalent circuit model (ECM) that incorporates more detailed models of the gaps, and compare results obtained with this ECM to finite element and leaky cable (LC) model results. Our ECM provides more accurate estimates of the frequency behaviour of cells than the leaky cable model. Also, our ECM results suggest limitations of the application of simple models to gap-connected cells with higher gap resistivity, the current flow in the cell interiors becomes increasingly complex and is not well represented by simple models. In this case, techniques such as the finite element method are required to model accurately cell behaviour.