Mechanoelectric feedback in cardiac cells

Abstract

Cardiac electrophysiology is affected by cardiac mechanics. The input from the heart's mechanical environment to its electrical behaviour has been termed mechanoelectric feedback (MEF) and is well documented by more than a century of clinical observations on mechanical modulation of heart rate and rhythm. The mechanisms underlying cardiac MEF have been investigated for only a few decades and include stretch activation of ion channels and mechanical modulation of cellular Ca²⁺ handling. This review briefly outlines the scope and limitations of current experimental insight and its implementation in mathematical models of cardiac cellular activity.