TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of the Frank–Starling Law in the Transduction of Cellular Work to Whole Organ Pump Function: A Computational Modeling Analysis A1 - Niederer, Steven A. A1 - Smith, Nicolas P. Y1 - 2009/04/24 N2 - Author Summary The heart achieves an efficient coordinated contraction via a complex web of feedback loops that span multiple spatial and temporal scales. Advances in computational hardware and numerical techniques now allow us to begin to analyse this feedback system through the use of computational models. Applying this approach, we have integrated a wide range of experimental data into a common and consistent modelling framework representing the cardiac electrical and mechanical systems. We have used this model to investigate how feedback loops regulate heart contraction. These results show that feedback from muscle length on tension generation at the cellular level is an important control mechanism of the efficiency with which the heart muscle contracts at the whole organ level. In addition to testing this specific hypothesis, the model developed in this study provides a framework for extending this work to investigating important pathological conditions such as heart failure and ischemic heart disease. JF - PLOS Computational Biology JA - PLOS Computational Biology VL - 5 IS - 4 UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000371 SP - e1000371 EP - PB - Public Library of Science M3 - doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000371 ER -