Quantum mechanical aspects of cardiac arrhythmias: A mathematical model and pathophysiological implications

Mohammed I. A. Ismail; Abdallah Barjas Qaswal; Mo'ath Bani Ali; Anas Hamdan; Ahmad Alghrabli; Mohamad Harb; Dina Ibrahim; Mohammad Nayel Al-Jbour; Ibrahim Almobaiden; Khadija Alrowwad; Esra'a Jaibat; Mira Alrousan; Mohammad Banifawaz; Mohammed A. M. Aldrini; Aya Daikh; Nour Aldarawish; Ahmad Alabedallat; Ismail M. I. Ismail; Lou'i Al-Husinat; Mohammed I. A. Ismail; Abdallah Barjas Qaswal; Mo'ath Bani Ali; Anas Hamdan; Ahmad Alghrabli; Mohamad Harb; Dina Ibrahim; Mohammad Nayel Al-Jbour; Ibrahim Almobaiden; Khadija Alrowwad; Esra'a Jaibat; Mira Alrousan; Mohammad Banifawaz; Mohammed A. M. Aldrini; Aya Daikh; Nour Aldarawish; Ahmad Alabedallat; Ismail M. I. Ismail; Lou'i Al-Husinat

doi:10.3934/biophy.2023024

AIMS Biophysics

2023, Volume 10, Issue 3: 401-439. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2023024

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Quantum mechanical aspects of cardiac arrhythmias: A mathematical model and pathophysiological implications

1.
Anesthesiology Department, Mut'ah School of Medicine, Al-Karak 61710, Jordan
2.
Department of Psychiatry, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
3.
Department of Internal Medicine, King Hussein Center, Amman 11942, Jordan
4.
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Istishari Hospital, Amman 11184, Jordan
5.
Department of Internal Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
6.
King Hussein Medical Center, King Abdullah II St 230, Amman 11185, Jordan
7.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
8.
Department of Pediatrics, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
9.
Department of Family Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
10.
Department of General Surgery, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
11.
Medical Doctor at Hospital D'aoulef, Aoulef, Algeria
12.
School of Medicine, Mutah University, Al-Karak 61710, Jordan
13.
Medical student, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
14.
Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmook University, Irbid 21163, Jordan

Received: 14 April 2023 Revised: 26 August 2023 Accepted: 12 September 2023 Published: 26 September 2023

Cardiac arrhythmias are serious myocardial electrical disturbances that affect the rate and rhythm of heartbeats. Despite the rapidly accumulating data about the pathophysiology and the treatment, new insights are required to improve the overall clinical outcome of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Three major arrhythmogenic processes can contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiac arrhythmias; 1) enhanced automaticity, 2) afterdepolarization-triggered activity and 3) reentry circuits. The mathematical model of the quantum tunneling of ions is used to investigate these mechanisms from a quantum mechanical perspective. The mathematical model focuses on applying the principle of quantum tunneling to sodium and potassium ions. This implies that these ions have a non-zero probability of passing through the gate, which has an energy that is higher than the kinetic energy of ions. Our mathematical findings indicate that, under pathological conditions, which affect ion channels, the quantum tunneling of sodium and potassium ions is augmented. This augmentation creates a state of hyperexcitability that can explain the enhanced automaticity, after depolarizations that are associated with triggered activity and a reentry circuit. Our mathematical findings stipulate that the augmented and thermally assisted quantum tunneling of sodium and potassium ions can depolarize the membrane potential and trigger spontaneous action potentials, which may explain the automaticity and afterdepolarization. Furthermore, the quantum tunneling of potassium ions during an action potential can provide a new insight regarding the formation of a reentry circuit. Introducing these quantum mechanical aspects may improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and, thus, contribute to finding more effective anti-arrhythmic drugs.
- quantum tunneling,
- ions,
- voltage-gated channel,
- arrhythmia,
- quantum biology
Citation: Mohammed I. A. Ismail, Abdallah Barjas Qaswal, Mo'ath Bani Ali, Anas Hamdan, Ahmad Alghrabli, Mohamad Harb, Dina Ibrahim, Mohammad Nayel Al-Jbour, Ibrahim Almobaiden, Khadija Alrowwad, Esra'a Jaibat, Mira Alrousan, Mohammad Banifawaz, Mohammed A. M. Aldrini, Aya Daikh, Nour Aldarawish, Ahmad Alabedallat, Ismail M. I. Ismail, Lou'i Al-Husinat. Quantum mechanical aspects of cardiac arrhythmias: A mathematical model and pathophysiological implications[J]. AIMS Biophysics, 2023, 10(3): 401-439. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2023024

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Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias are serious myocardial electrical disturbances that affect the rate and rhythm of heartbeats. Despite the rapidly accumulating data about the pathophysiology and the treatment, new insights are required to improve the overall clinical outcome of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Three major arrhythmogenic processes can contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiac arrhythmias; 1) enhanced automaticity, 2) afterdepolarization-triggered activity and 3) reentry circuits. The mathematical model of the quantum tunneling of ions is used to investigate these mechanisms from a quantum mechanical perspective. The mathematical model focuses on applying the principle of quantum tunneling to sodium and potassium ions. This implies that these ions have a non-zero probability of passing through the gate, which has an energy that is higher than the kinetic energy of ions. Our mathematical findings indicate that, under pathological conditions, which affect ion channels, the quantum tunneling of sodium and potassium ions is augmented. This augmentation creates a state of hyperexcitability that can explain the enhanced automaticity, after depolarizations that are associated with triggered activity and a reentry circuit. Our mathematical findings stipulate that the augmented and thermally assisted quantum tunneling of sodium and potassium ions can depolarize the membrane potential and trigger spontaneous action potentials, which may explain the automaticity and afterdepolarization. Furthermore, the quantum tunneling of potassium ions during an action potential can provide a new insight regarding the formation of a reentry circuit. Introducing these quantum mechanical aspects may improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and, thus, contribute to finding more effective anti-arrhythmic drugs.

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