Experimental observation of the integer multiple beating rhythms generated by cardiac myocytes
心肌细胞团搏动的整数倍节律的实验观察

The integer multiple rhythms observed in spontaneous and synchronous beating cardiac myocytes was reported. Such rhythms were stable rhythm patterns formed by a stochastic alternating between two kinds of related beating forms. The intervals between the successive occurrences of either of the beating forms exhibited integer multiple characteristics. The stochastic alternating between a resting period and a period one beating formed the 0-1 integer multiple rhythm, while the alternating between a period one beating and a period two beating formed the 1-2 integer multiple rhythm. The 0-1 integer multiple rhythm was located between resting and period one rhythm and the 1-2 integer multiple rhythm located between period one and period two rhythms. The transition process among the rhythms found in experiment clearly showed a "spectrum of rhythms" including resting, 0-1 integer multiple, period one, 1~2 integer multiple, and period two rhythms. The "spectrum of rhythms" could provide a deep theoretical guidance for the understanding of the relations and transition principles between normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms.