8. WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF CARDIAC MUSCLE AND HOW DOES IT CONTRACT?

(HALIMA)

Cardiac Muscle Structure

Striated involuntary muscle with bundles of actin and myosin protein microfilaments
One central nucleus (occasionally up to 5)
Endomysium only
Branching network of cells interconnected at intercalated discs
Intercalated discs contain desmosomes and gap junctions
Desmosomes bind cardiac cells tightly together → cardiac muscle cells contract as a unit
The gap junctions allow ions and small molecules to move from one cell to another → coordinated contraction

Cardiac tissue has the property of automaticity - able to generate its own action potentials
• The autonomic nervous system simply modulates the rate at which the heart beats
• AP is generated in nodal tissue (the SA node)
• AP is transmitted to the ventricles via the conduction network and from cell to cell via gap
junctions
• The AP travels along the muscle fibre membrane
• Ca2+ enters sarcoplasm from SR and from the extracellular fluid via voltage-gated channels =
calcium-induced calcium release (electrical depolarisation of the sarcolemma, results in an influx of
calcium into the cell through channels in the T tubules.)
• Ca2+ triggers contraction by the sliding filament mechanism

Sliding filament mechanism

• Myosin heads are “cocked” (energised) by hydrolysis of an ATP molecule attached to the head (→ADP + Pi)
• Ca2+ released from SR binds to troponin, which alters its conformation and pulls tropomyosin away from binding sites for
myosin on actin
• Myosin heads form a crossbridge to the actin
• Release of Pi → heads bend (power stroke) and slide the actin over the myosin→ sarcomeres shorten→ contraction
• ADP released and attachment of another ATP to myosin head dissociates myosin from actin
• Myosin heads progressively attach to actin and detach, maintaining contraction
 Relevance to case

The energy for myocyte contraction is

derived from adenosine triphosphate (ATP),
which is generated by oxidative
phosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate
(ADP) in the abundant mitochondria of the
cell.

ATP is required both for calcium influx and

for force generation by actin-myosin
interaction. During contraction, ATP
promotes dissociation of myosin from actin,
thereby permitting the sliding of thick
filaments past thin filaments as the sarcomere
shortens.

Under normal circumstances, fatty acids are

the preferred energy source, although glucose
can also be used as a substrate.

These substrates must be constantly delivered

to the heart through the bloodstream because
minimal energy is stored in the heart itself.
Myocardial metabolism is aerobic and thus requires a constant supply of oxygen. Under ischemic or hypoxemic conditions,
glycolysis and lactate may serve as a source of ATP, although in insufficient quantities to sustain the working heart.

References

Marieb pp. 674-675

Silverthorn Human Physiology

Di Moses Lecture notes 2009

CV Physiology