Compact multifunctional model of rabbit atrioventricular node with autonomic nervous system control

抄録

Transmitting signals from the atria to the ventricles, the atrioventricular (AV) node synchronizes atrial and ventricular contractions by providing conduction delay and protects the ventricles from atrial arrhythmias. The AV node is still a “black box,” and its experimental study is rather difficult. We present a compact multifunctional computer model of the rabbit AV node based on the Aliev-Panfilov cardiac cell model. The AV model includes a dual pathway structure, closely reproduces experimentally obtained anterograde and retrograde conduction curves, and allows the visualization of fast and slow pathway conduction through ladder diagrams. Moreover, the model incorporates the effect of the autonomic nervous system. The combined effect of sympathetic and parasympathetic tones on AV nodal conduction manifests in changes in atrial-His bundle conduction time and regular sinus rhythm, the onset and spontaneous termination of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia, and changes in filtering function in atrial fibrillation.