A Model for the Transient and Steady-State Mechanical Behavior of Contracting Muscle

A model was developed which can simulate both the transient and steady-state mechanical behavior of contracting skeletal striated muscle. Thick filament cross-bridges undergo cycles of attachment to and detachment from thin filament sites. Cross-bridges can attach only while in the first of two stab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical journal 1974-07, Vol.14 (7), p.546-562
Main Authors: Julian, F.J., Sollins, K.R., Sollins, M.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computers
Mathematics
Models, Biological
Muscle Contraction
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Summary:A model was developed which can simulate both the transient and steady-state mechanical behavior of contracting skeletal striated muscle. Thick filament cross-bridges undergo cycles of attachment to and detachment from thin filament sites. Cross-bridges can attach only while in the first of two stable states. Force is then generated by a transition to the second state after which detachment can occur. Cross-bridges are assumed to be connected to the thin filaments by an elastic element whose extension or compression influences the rate constants for attachment, detachment, and changes between states. The model was programmed for a digital computer and attempts made to match both the transient and the steady-state responses of the model to that of real muscle in two basic types of experiment: force response to sudden change in length and length response to sudden reduction of load from P o . Values for rate constants and other parameters were chosen to try to match the model's output to results from real muscles, while at the same time trying to accommodate structural and biochemical information.
ISSN:0006-3495
1542-0086
DOI:10.1016/S0006-3495(74)85934-5