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Wave-Block Due to a Threshold Gradient Underlies Limited Coordination in Pancreatic Islets

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Abstract

Two models for coupled pancreatic β cells are used to investigate excited wave propagation in spatially inhomogeneous islets of Langerhans. The application concerns spatial variation of glucose concentration across the islet. A comprehensive model of coupled cells shows that wave blocking occurs as the conductance of adenosine triphosphate regulated potassium channels increases, corresponding to spatially decreasing glucose concentration. A simplified model based on a perturbed version of Fisher’s equation has been investigated using perturbation theory. We show that the perturbed Fisher’s equation likewise can exhibit wave blocking.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge financial support from the European Union through the Network of Excellence BioSim, LSHB-CT-2004-005137. MGP was partially supported by the Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo, 6/B, 35131, Padova, Italy

    Morten Gram Pedersen

  2. Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, Bldg. 309, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

    Morten Gram Pedersen

  3. Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Denmark, Matematiktorvet, Bldg. 303S, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

    Mads Peter Sørensen

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  1. Morten Gram Pedersen
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  2. Mads Peter Sørensen
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Correspondence to Mads Peter Sørensen.

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Pedersen, M.G., Sørensen, M.P. Wave-Block Due to a Threshold Gradient Underlies Limited Coordination in Pancreatic Islets. J Biol Phys 34, 425–432 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-008-9069-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-008-9069-0

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