Quasi-periodic behaviour in a model for the lithium-induced, electrical oscillations of frog skin

C R Biol. 2002 Sep;325(9):917-25. doi: 10.1016/s1631-0691(02)01507-x.

Abstract

The fact that oscillations can be induced in studies of the maintenance of the electrical potential of frog skin by addition of lithium allowed evaluation of several parameters fundamental to the functioning of the system in vivo (e.g. relative volumes of internal compartments, characteristic times of ionic exchanges between compartments). A realistic model was thus proposed under the form of a set of ordinary differential equations. In the past, numerical simulations using such a model reproduced the periodic experimental oscillations and was able to provide an explanation for the global synchronised oscillations of the whole skin. In that paper, new numerical simulations reproduce the non-periodic oscillations which were observed two decades ago, but not reproduced by the model. Moreover, the dynamical process under which all the local oscillators are synchronised is explained in terms of a tangent bifurcation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Animals
  • Biological Clocks / physiology*
  • Cyclic AMP / physiology
  • Diffusion
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology
  • Galvanic Skin Response / drug effects*
  • Galvanic Skin Response / physiology
  • Ion Transport / drug effects
  • Ion Transport / physiology
  • Lithium / pharmacology*
  • Models, Biological
  • Ranidae / physiology*
  • Sodium / metabolism
  • Theophylline / pharmacology

Substances

  • Lithium
  • Sodium
  • Theophylline
  • Cyclic AMP