This is the readme for the model associated with the papers:

Ref: Laventovich and Hemkin, A mathematical model of spontaneous
calcium(II) oscillations in astrocytes.  J Theor Biol 2008;
251(4):553-60.

Abstract:

Astrocytes exhibit oscillations and waves of Ca2+ ions within their
cytosol and it appears that this behavior helps facilitate the
astrocyte's interaction with its environment, including its
neighboring neurons. Often changes in the oscillatory behavior are
initiated by an external stimulus such as glutamate, recently however,
it has been observed that oscillations are also initiated
spontaneously. We propose here a mathematical model of how spontaneous
Ca2+ oscillations arise in astrocytes. This model uses the
calcium-induced calcium release and inositol cross-coupling mechanisms
coupled with a receptor-independent method for producing inositol
(1,4,5)-trisphosphate as the heart of the model. By computationally
mimicking experimental constraints we have found that this model
provides results that are qualitatively similar to experiment.

To run the model:

Expand the archive and cd into the newly created directory and run:
xppaut Ca-Oscil-Astrocyte.ode
then click on Initialcond -> Go



This simulation will make graphs similar to the paper of Laventovich
and Hemkin.  Note that the cytosolic calcium concentration shown in
figure 3 of the paper should be increased by 10-fold.

The model file was supplied by:

Dr. Sheng-Nan Wu
Cardiac Electrophysiology and Systems-biology Center (CESC)
National Cheng Kung University Medical College
Tainan 70101, Taiwan
e-mail: snwu@mail.ncku.edu.tw