Simulation Of Neurotransmitter Release At The Neuromuscular Junction

Mahmoudi, Mehrak; Abd Khodaei, Mohammad Jafar; Khatibirad, Saeide

doi:10.22041/ijbme.2005.13577

Simulation Of Neurotransmitter Release At The Neuromuscular Junction

Document Type : Full Research Paper

Authors

Mehrak Mahmoudi ¹

Mohammad Jafar Abd Khodaei ²

Saeide Khatibirad ¹

¹ Chemical Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology

² Aerospace Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology

10.22041/ijbme.2005.13577

Abstract

A mathematical model is presented for simulation of neurotransmitter release in the synaptic cleft of a neuromuscular junction. Chaudhuri's model is improved by adding calcium diffusion effect on the neurotransmitter release. When an action potential occurs, the calcium channels on presynaptic membrane will open and allow calcium ions to enter in presynaptic terminal. Then, these ions diffuse between calcium channels and release sites, where clearance mechanisms remove some of them. The model is defined by some partial differential equations which are solved by numerical methods. Solving these equations, the temporal changes of calcium concentration in the release sites and the amount of neurotransmitter release at each time are obtained. Finally, the effect of two consecutive action potential pulses on the above mechanisms is studied.

Keywords

Synapse

Neuromuscular junction

Neurotransmitter

Synaptic vesicle

Simulation

Modeling

Subjects

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