An Information Theoretical Analysis of Gap Junction Channels

Farrokh Hejri,Ilangko Balasingham,Mladen Veletic

doi:10.1109/access.2021.3073247

Abstract

The propagation of molecules, ions and electrochemical signals in various cell types occurs through hundreds of gap junction channels. A gap junction channel is composed of hundreds of units which are further decomposed to hemichannels. From the computational modeling perspective, each gap junction channel acts as a state machine, switching between different permeability states at known rates. Both the permeabilities and the rates jointly depend on transmembrane and transjunctional voltages. To the best of our knowledge, the effects of the permeability states on the communication performance between cells remain unknown to-date. Here, we use the example of gap junctions between cardiac myocytes (cardiomyocytes) to model a gap junction channel as a finite-state channel. We then apply the Shannon’s information theory to compute the achievable information rates. Our results demonstrate the information theoretical limits of communication over cardiac gap junction channels. The proposed analysis is anticipated to address open-research problems in cardiac modeling, as well as in nano-networking where man-made miniature devices inter-connect with cardiomyocytes to enable novel groundbreaking applications in healthcare.

Highlights

The concept of intra-body communications (IBC) utilizes the human body as a communication medium for propagation of electromagnetic signals, aiming to wirelessly inter-connect implanted nodes which serve for a specific healthcare application
Thereby, a novel and more precise information theoretical analysis which considers non-linear dynamics of cardiac gap junctions is necessary
In this paper, we used a mathematical model for a single-branch gap junction channel as the basis of the information theoretical analysis

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The concept of intra-body communications (IBC) utilizes the human body as a communication medium for propagation of electromagnetic signals, aiming to wirelessly inter-connect implanted nodes which serve for a specific healthcare application. Potentially leading to disrupting applications in cardiac pacing and heart resynchronization therapy In such a scenario, gap junctions can act as the communication interface. An information theoretical analysis on gap junction channels has been initially proposed in [27], where the simplifying assumptions of ohmic and constant conductances have been made. Thereby, a novel and more precise information theoretical analysis which considers non-linear dynamics of cardiac gap junctions is necessary. We study the information capacity of gap junction channels. We derive the total capacity of the gap junction channel using an information theoretical finite-state channel model.

SYSTEM MODEL

NUMERICAL RESULTS

CONCLUSION