Mechanoelectric feedback in cardiac cells

Cardiac electrophysiology is affected by cardiac mechanics. The input from the heart's mechanical environment to its electrical behaviour has been termed mechano-electric feedback (MEF) and is well documented by more than a century of clinical observations on mechanical modulation of heart rate and rhythm. The mechanisms underlying cardiac MEF have been investigated for only a few decades and include stretch activation of ion channels and mechanical. modulation of cellular Ca2+ handling. This review briefly outlines the scope and limitations of current experimental insight and its implementation in mathematical models of cardiac cellular activity.