Web Applications Supporting the Development of Models of Chagas’ Disease for Left Ventricular Myocytes of Adult Rats

Abstract

Abstract. Chagas' Disease is an endemic infection in many areas of South and Central America that may cause a fatal type of myocarditis. In the acute phase of the disease, ventricular extrasystoles and tachycardia have been reported. Experiments with cardiac myocytes in the acute stage of Chagas' Disease have suggested a depression of Ito, the Ca 2+ -independent K + Transient Outward current. In this work we use computational models of left ventricular myocytes of adult rats to qualify the effects of Ito reduction that appear during the acute phase of Chagas' Disease. The simulations are carried out by Web applications based on the CellML language, a recently emerged international standard for the description of biological models. The computational framework supports the development of mathematical models, simulations and visualization of the results. Our preliminary simulation results suggest that the reduction of Ito density elicits modifications of electrophysiological mechanisms that are strongly related to the phenomena of arrhythmia.