Homogeneity in the Electrical Activity Pattern as a Function of Intercellular Coupling in Cell Networks

The aim of this paper is to study changes in the electrical activity of cellular networks when one of the most important electrical parameters, the coupling conductance, varies. We use the pancreatic islet of Langerhans as a cellular network model for the study of oscillatory electrical patterns. The isolated elements of this network, beta cells, are unable to oscillate, while they show a bursting pattern when connected through gap-junctions. Increasing coupling conductance between the elements of the networks leads to the homogeneity of the fast electrical events. We use both experimental data obtained from normal and transgenic animal cells and computational cells and networks to study the implications of coupling strength in the homogeneity of the electrical response.