Ion channels and the diversity of spontaneous firing in anterior pituitary corticotrophs: A dynamical analysis

Abstract

Pituitary cells release hormones based on firing patterns, mediated by multiple ionic currents. Analyzing a single channel’s effect on firing is insufficient. We used a four-dimensional Hodgkin–Huxley-type corticotroph model to analyze its dynamics from a geometric perspective. We conducted a two-parameter bifurcation analysis of the system and found that activation levels of BK, NS, Kir, Ca, and LCa channels are crucial in generating and transitioning between different firing patterns. Chaotic firing can arise during the transition between firing patterns. We have employed the Poincaré map method and sequence reconstructions to construct return maps to characterize chaos-firing. The membrane potential time series is affected by fluctuations in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i). We studied the variable c using fast–slow analysis techniques and phase portraits to explore its relationship with phase portraits. The study revealed that the system exhibits bistability, which is dependent on the initial values of c or V. The findings indicate that firing activities can arise from either a supercritical or subcritical Hopf bifurcation. Analyses show the interaction between the membrane potential and [Ca2+]i at various BK channel activation levels.