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European Medical and Biological Engineering Confernce

Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics

EMBEC 2017, NBC 2017: EMBEC & NBC 2017 pp 157–160Cite as

Geometry-based Computational Modeling of Calcium Signaling in an Astrocyte

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Part of the book series: IFMBE Proceedings ((IFMBE,volume 65))

Abstract

In the last two decades, astrocytes have gained more interest due to the realization that they are involved not only in information processing and memory formation but are also linked with several neurodegenerative disorders and brain diseases. Communicating indirectly with synapses via released gliotransmitters such as glutamate, astrocytes take part in the neuronal activity by propagating intracellular and intercellular waves of calcium (Ca2+). However, it is not clear what effect does the astrocyte geometry have on these Ca2+ wave dynamics. In this study, we present a geometry-based computational model of an astrocyte that is used to simulate the stimulation and propagation of intracellular astrocytic Ca2+ waves. To our best knowledge, this is the first computational model to study the effect of the single astrocyte geometry on the Ca2+ wave propagation, while taking into account the intricate biological pathways that regulate internal Ca2+ dynamics. By simulating theoretical astrocyte geometries with a fixed glutamate stimulus, we found that narrower astrocyte processes lead to stronger Ca2+ wave dynamics, in comparison to wider processes. From this study, we concluded that the geometry does have a visible effect on the overall intracellular Ca2+ dynamics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland

    Muhammad Uzair Khalid, Aapo Tervonen, Iina Korkka, Jari Hyttinen & Kerstin Lenk

  2. DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Kerstin Lenk

Authors
  1. Muhammad Uzair Khalid
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  2. Aapo Tervonen
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  3. Iina Korkka
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  4. Jari Hyttinen
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  5. Kerstin Lenk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jari Hyttinen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tampere University of Technology, BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Tampere, Finland

    Hannu Eskola

  2. Tampere University of Technology, BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Tampere, Etelä-Suomi, Finland

    Outi Väisänen

  3. Tampere University of Technology, BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Tampere, Etelä-Suomi, Finland

    Jari Viik

  4. Tampere University of Technology, BioMediTech Institute and Faculty of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Tampere, Etelä-Suomi, Finland

    Jari Hyttinen

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Khalid, M.U., Tervonen, A., Korkka, I., Hyttinen, J., Lenk, K. (2018). Geometry-based Computational Modeling of Calcium Signaling in an Astrocyte. In: Eskola, H., Väisänen, O., Viik, J., Hyttinen, J. (eds) EMBEC & NBC 2017. EMBEC NBC 2017 2017. IFMBE Proceedings, vol 65. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5122-7_40

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5122-7_40

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-5121-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-5122-7

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