Simulation of nerve impulse propagation.

Yarmolich Dmitry 323674218

The simulation takes as external parameters:

file='iNa_iK.CSV' a file name containing time dependence of Na and K(a negative
one) pores conductance.
vo=-0.07 a rest membrane potential [V].
capac=1e-6 capacitance of cell membrane [F/cm2].
vNa=0.01 sodium ions pore internal potential [V]
vK=0.01 potassium pore internal potential [V]
vNextini=-0.05 trigger potential for opening the sodium pore [V].
vstimul=-0.03 external stimulus potential to start the pulse [V].
d_cm diameter of cell [cm]
lambda space constant [cm].

The simulation divides the cell at elements with longitudinal size 1.1 times longer of
space constant to approximate a uniform potential distribution at cell element length
and calculates area, capacitance and conductance for this cell element.
To receive the potential time dependence of the unit sell element I've approximate a
capacitor charging due to a currents created by an ions fluxes of opposite directions
trough the pores with nonlinear conductance, assuming RC~1e-6/3e-2=3.3e-5[sec] of
membrane, one can approximate charging the membrane capacitance with constant
Voltage supplier for each time interval (rise time of conductance ~5e-4 [sec]>>RC):
t t
Vi ∫ ϑ • dt ∫ I • dt
V (t ) = V0 + 0
= V0 + 0

c c
Where Vi= vNa is the sodium pores internal potential (voltage of virtual supplier) or
in the potassium case Vi=- vK is the potassium pores internal potential and ϑ is
membrane conductance.
A function 'OneStep' return and plot the voltage time dependence of the single cell
element potential, taking in account the individual conductance and pore voltage for
sodium and potassium (see Fig.1,Fig.2).
If stimulus enough ( vstimul > vNextini) to trigger the first cell element, the potential
of its membrane start to changes according to 'OneStep' returned dependence. The
simulation function 'Start' plots the potential-time dependence at the first cell element.
At the next cell element will appear a potential initiated by firs cell element potential
1
shift. The next cell potential depends on space constant λ = , where ri , ro
(ri + ro ) g m
are inner and outer longitudinal resistance of cell, gm is a transverse inner to outer cell
membrane resistance (see ref.2)
l
−
V = V e0 g λ
where l is length of the cell element. If V enough to trigger the Na pores to open, the
next cell element starts to charge its membrane capacitor. Hence the nerve pulse has
achieved the second cell element and creates the potential at next cell element. The
simulation function 'NextInit' in the cycle calculates the potential time dependence for
each cell element and animates the pulse propagation along the cell elements in time
(see Fig.3- Fig.4). A function 'Velocity' retunes the pulse propagation velocity [m/s]
calculated as ratio of 10 cell elements length and time pulse arriving to the 11's cell
element.
The simulation doesn't take in account action of a Sodium-Potassium Pump, and
nature of ions current and pore conductance and assumed that ions concentration don't
change significantly during pulse propagation through the cell element .The cell
membrane conductance assumed as flat conductor capacitance.

Reference.

1. http://www.biologymad.com/NervousSystem/nerveimpulses.htm

2 . http://www.physics.union.edu/newmanj/2000/neural_circuits.htm

3. Shin-Ho Chung, Study of Ionic Currents across a Model Membrane Channel Using
Brownian Dynamics

4.B. Eisenberg , Biophysics Textbook On Line “Channels, Receptors, and

Transporters” http://biosci.umn.edu/biophys/OLTB/channel.html

B. EISENBERG, IONIC CHANNELS IN BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES ELECTROSTATIC ANALYSIS OF A NATURAL .5

.NANOTUBE. JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL ELECTRONICS 3: 25–31, 2004

6. CARL L. GARDNER, Electrodiffusion Model Simulation of Ionic Channels: 1D

Simulations Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.

7. CARL L. GARDNER, ELECTRODIFFUSION MODEL OF RECTANGULAR CURRENT PULSES IN IONIC

CHANNELS OF CELLULAR MEMBRANES, J. APPL. MATH. c Vol. 61, No. 3, pp. 792–802