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Mascarenhas L, Downey M, Schwartz G, Adabag S. Antiarrhythmic effects of metformin. Heart Rhythm O2 2024; 5:310-320. [PMID: 38840768 PMCID: PMC11148504 DOI: 10.1016/j.hroo.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) is a major public health problem and is associated with stroke, heart failure, dementia, and death. It is estimated that 20%-30% of Americans will develop AF at some point in their life. Current medications to prevent AF have limited efficacy and significant adverse effects. Newer and safer therapies to prevent AF are needed. Ventricular arrhythmias are less prevalent than AF but may have significant consequences including sudden cardiac death. Metformin is the most prescribed, first-line medication for treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). It decreases hepatic glucose production but also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress. Experimental studies have shown that metformin improves metabolic, electrical, and histologic risk factors associated with AF and ventricular arrhythmias. Furthermore, in large clinical observational studies, metformin has been associated with a reduced risk of AF in people with DM. These data suggest that metformin may have antiarrhythmic properties and may be a candidate to be repurposed as a medication to prevent cardiac arrhythmias. In this article, we review the clinical observational and experimental evidence for the association between metformin and cardiac arrhythmias. We also discuss the potential antiarrhythmic mechanisms underlying this association. Repurposing a well-tolerated, safe, and inexpensive medication to prevent cardiac arrhythmias has significant positive public health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Mascarenhas
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Michael Downey
- Department of Cardiology, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregory Schwartz
- Cardiology Section, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Selcuk Adabag
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Cardiology, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Zhang X, Wu Y, Smith C, Louch WE, Morotti S, Dobrev D, Grandi E, Ni H. Enhanced Ca2+-Driven Arrhythmias in Female Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Insights from Computational Modeling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.04.583217. [PMID: 38496584 PMCID: PMC10942295 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.04.583217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Substantial sex-based differences have been reported in atrial fibrillation (AF), with female patients experiencing worse symptoms, increased complications from drug side effects or ablation, and elevated risk of AF-related stroke and mortality. Recent studies revealed sex-specific alterations in AF-associated Ca2+ dysregulation, whereby female cardiomyocytes more frequently exhibit potentially proarrhythmic Ca2+-driven instabilities compared to male cardiomyocytes. In this study, we aim to gain a mechanistic understanding of the Ca2+-handling disturbances and Ca2+-driven arrhythmogenic events in males vs females and establish their responses to Ca2+-targeted interventions. METHODS AND RESULTS We incorporated known sex differences and AF-associated changes in the expression and phosphorylation of key Ca2+-handling proteins and in ultrastructural properties and dimensions of atrial cardiomyocytes into our recently developed 3D atrial cardiomyocyte model that couples electrophysiology with spatially detailed Ca2+-handling processes. Our simulations of quiescent cardiomyocytes show increased incidence of Ca2+ sparks in female vs male myocytes in AF, in agreement with previous experimental reports. Additionally, our female model exhibited elevated propensity to develop pacing-induced spontaneous Ca2+ releases (SCRs) and augmented beat-to-beat variability in action potential (AP)-elicited Ca2+ transients compared with the male model. Parameter sensitivity analysis uncovered precise arrhythmogenic contributions of each component that was implicated in sex and/or AF alterations. Specifically, increased ryanodine receptor phosphorylation in female AF cardiomyocytes emerged as the major SCR contributor, while reduced L-type Ca2+ current was protective against SCRs for male AF cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, simulations of tentative Ca2+-targeted interventions identified potential strategies to attenuate Ca2+-driven arrhythmogenic events in female atria (e.g., t-tubule restoration, and inhibition of ryanodine receptor and sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase), and revealed enhanced efficacy when applied in combination. CONCLUSIONS Our sex-specific computational models of human atrial cardiomyocytes uncover increased propensity to Ca2+-driven arrhythmogenic events in female compared to male atrial cardiomyocytes in AF, and point to combined Ca2+-targeted interventions as promising approaches to treat AF in female patients. Our study establishes that AF treatment may benefit from sex-dependent strategies informed by sex-specific mechanisms.
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3
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Lerman BB, Markowitz SM, Cheung JW, Thomas G, Ip JE. Ventricular Tachycardia Due to Triggered Activity: Role of Early and Delayed Afterdepolarizations. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2024; 10:379-401. [PMID: 38127010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2023.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Most forms of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) are caused by re-entry, resulting from altered myocardial conduction and refractoriness secondary to underlying structural heart disease. In contrast, VT caused by triggered activity (TA) is unrelated to an abnormal structural substrate and is often caused by molecular defects affecting ion channel function or regulation of intracellular calcium cycling. This review summarizes the cellular and molecular bases underlying TA and exemplifies their clinical relevance with selective representative scenarios. The underlying basis of TA caused by delayed afterdepolarizations is related to sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium overload, calcium waves, and diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak. Clinical examples of TA caused by delayed afterdepolarizations include sustained right and left ventricular outflow tract tachycardia and catecholaminergic polymorphic VT. The other form of afterpotentials, early afterdepolarizations, are systolic events and inscribe early afterdepolarizations during phase 2 or phase 3 of the action potential. The fundamental defect is a decrease in repolarization reserve with associated increases in late plateau inward currents. Malignant ventricular arrhythmias in the long QT syndromes are initiated by early afterdepolarization-mediated TA. An understanding of the molecular and cellular bases of these arrhythmias has resulted in generally effective pharmacologic-based therapies, but these are nonspecific agents that have off-target effects. Therapeutic efficacy may need to be augmented with an implantable defibrillator. Next-generation therapies will include novel agents that rescue arrhythmogenic abnormalities in cellular signaling pathways and gene therapy approaches that transfer or edit pathogenic gene variants or silence mutant messenger ribonucleic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce B Lerman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and the Greenberg Institute for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
| | - Steven M Markowitz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and the Greenberg Institute for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jim W Cheung
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and the Greenberg Institute for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - George Thomas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and the Greenberg Institute for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - James E Ip
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and the Greenberg Institute for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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Wang R, Qu Z, Huang X. Dissecting the roles of calcium cycling and its coupling with voltage in the genesis of early afterdepolarizations in cardiac myocyte models. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011930. [PMID: 38416778 PMCID: PMC10927084 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are abnormal depolarizations during the plateau phase of the action potential, which are known to be associated with lethal arrhythmias in the heart. There are two major hypotheses for EAD genesis based on experimental observations, i.e., the voltage (Vm)-driven and intracellular calcium (Ca)-driven mechanisms. In ventricular myocytes, Ca and Vm are bidirectionally coupled, which can affect each other's dynamics and result in new dynamics, however, the roles of Ca cycling and its coupling with Vm in the genesis of EADs have not been well understood. In this study, we use an action potential model that is capable of independent Vm and Ca oscillations to investigate the roles of Vm and Ca coupling in EAD genesis. Four different mechanisms of EADs are identified, which are either driven by Vm oscillations or Ca oscillations alone, or oscillations caused by their interactions. We also use 5 other ventricular action potential models to assess these EAD mechanisms and show that EADs in these models are mainly Vm-driven. These mechanistic insights from our simulations provide a theoretical base for understanding experimentally observed EADs and EAD-related arrhythmogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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George SA, Brennan-McLean JA, Trampel KA, Rytkin E, Faye NR, Knollmann BC, Efimov IR. Ryanodine receptor inhibition with acute dantrolene treatment reduces arrhythmia susceptibility in human hearts. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 325:H720-H728. [PMID: 37566110 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00103.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) hyperactivity is observed in structural heart diseases that are a result of ischemia or heart failure. It causes abnormal calcium handling and calcium leaks that cause metabolic, electrical, and mechanical dysfunction, which can trigger arrhythmias. Here, we tested the antiarrhythmic potential of dantrolene (RyR inhibitor) in human hearts. Human hearts not used in transplantation were obtained, and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) wedges and left ventricular (LV) slices were prepared. Pseudo-ECGs were recorded to determine premature ventricular contraction (PVC) incidences. Optical mapping was performed to determine arrhythmogenic substrates. After baseline optical recordings, tissues were treated with 1) isoproterenol (250 nM), 2) caffeine (200 mM), and 3) dantrolene (2 or 10 mM). Optical recordings were obtained after each treatment. Isoproterenol and caffeine treatment increased PVC incidence, whereas dantrolene reduced the PVC burden. Isoproterenol shortened action potential duration (APD) in the RV, RVOT, and LV regions and shortened calcium transient duration (CaTD) in the LV. Caffeine further shortened APD in the RV, did not modulate APD in the RVOT, and prolonged APD in the LV. In addition, in the LV, CaTD prolongation was also observed. More importantly, adding dantrolene did not alter APD in the RV or RVOT regions but produced a trend toward APD prolongation and significant CaTD prolongation in the LV, restoring these parameters to baseline values. In conclusions, dantrolene treatment suppresses triggers and reverses arrhythmogenic substrates in the human heart and could be a novel antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with structural heart disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Ryanodine receptor 2 hyperactivity is observed in structural heart diseases caused by ischemia or heart failure. It causes abnormal calcium leaks, which can trigger arrhythmias. To prevent arrhythmias, we applied dantrolene in human hearts ex vivo. Isoproterenol and caffeine treatment increased PVC incidence, whereas dantrolene reduced the PVC burden. Dantrolene treatment suppresses triggers and reverses arrhythmogenic substrates and could be a novel antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with structural heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Jaclyn A Brennan-McLean
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Katy A Trampel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Eric Rytkin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - N Rokhaya Faye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Bjorn C Knollmann
- Vanderbilt Center for Arrhythmia Research and Therapeutics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Igor R Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
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Li SH, Ma GL, Zhang SL, Yang YY, Liu HF, Luo A, Wen J, Cao ZZ, Jia YZ. Naringin exerts antiarrhythmic effects by inhibiting channel currents in mouse cardiomyocytes. J Electrocardiol 2023; 80:69-80. [PMID: 37262953 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Naringin, a flavonoid extracted from citrus plants, has a variety of biological effects. Studies have shown that increasing the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods can reduce the incidence of cardiac arrhythmia. Naringin has been reported to have beneficial cardiovascular effects and thus can be used to prevent cardiovascular diseases, but the electrophysiological mechanism through which it prevents arrhythmias has not been elucidated. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of naringin on the transmembrane ion channel currents in mouse ventricular myocytes and the antiarrhythmic effect of this compound on Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts. METHODS Action potentials (APs) and ionic currents were recorded in isolated ventricular myocytes using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Anemone toxin II (ATX II) and CaCl2 were used to induce early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs), respectively. Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were conducted in Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts with a BL-420F biological signal acquisition and analysis system. RESULTS At the cellular level, naringin shortened the action potential duration (APD) of ventricular myocytes and decreased the maximum depolarization velocity (Vmax) of APs.Naringin inhibited the L-type calcium current (ICa.L) and ATX II enhanced the late sodium current (INa.L) in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values of 508.5 μmol/L (n = 9) and 311.6 μmol/L (n = 10), respectively. In addition, naringin also inhibited the peak sodium current (INa·P) and delayed the rectifier potassium current (IK) and the transient outward potassium current (Ito). Moreover, naringin reduced ATX II-induced APD prolongation and EADs and had a significant inhibitory effect on CaCl2-induced DADs as well. At the organ level, naringin reduced the incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) induced by ATX II and shortened the duration of both in isolated hearts. CONCLUSION Naringin can inhibit the occurrence of EADs and DADs at the cellular level; furthermore, it can inhibit INa.L, ICa.L, INa·P, IK, and Ito in ventricular myocytes. Naringin also inhibits arrhythmias induced by ATX II in hearts. By investigating naringin with this electrophysiological method for the first time, we determined that this flavonoid may be a multichannel blocker with antiarrhythmic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Han Li
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Guo-Lan Ma
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Shuang-Lin Zhang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Yan-Yan Yang
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Han-Feng Liu
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Antao Luo
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Jie Wen
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Cao
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China.
| | - Yu-Zhong Jia
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
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Lu YY, Chen YC, Lin YK, Chen SA, Chen YJ. Electrical and Structural Insights into Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Arrhythmogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11795. [PMID: 37511554 PMCID: PMC10380666 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) is the major origin of ventricular arrhythmias, including premature ventricular contractions, idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias, Brugada syndrome, torsade de pointes, long QT syndrome, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. The RVOT has distinct developmental origins and cellular characteristics and a complex myocardial architecture with high shear wall stress, which may lead to its high vulnerability to arrhythmogenesis. RVOT myocytes are vulnerable to intracellular sodium and calcium overload due to calcium handling protein modulation, enhanced CaMKII activity, ryanodine receptor phosphorylation, and a higher cAMP level activated by predisposing factors or pathological conditions. A reduction in Cx43 and Scn5a expression may lead to electrical uncoupling in RVOT. The purpose of this review is to update the current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of RVOT arrhythmogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Yu Lu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sijhih Cathay General Hospital, New Taipei City 22174, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24257, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Chang Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Kuo Lin
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan
- Cardiovacular Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ann Chen
- Heart Rhythm Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jen Chen
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan
- Cardiovacular Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan
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Zhang X, Ni H, Morotti S, Smith C, Sato D, Louch W, Edwards A, Grandi E. Mechanisms of spontaneous Ca 2+ release-mediated arrhythmia in a novel 3D human atrial myocyte model: I. Transverse-axial tubule variation. J Physiol 2023; 601:2655-2683. [PMID: 36094888 PMCID: PMC10008525 DOI: 10.1113/jp283363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+ ) cycling is tightly regulated in the healthy heart ensuring effective contraction. This is achieved by transverse (t)-tubule membrane invaginations that facilitate close coupling of key Ca2+ -handling proteins such as the L-type Ca2+ channel and Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) on the cell surface with ryanodine receptors (RyRs) on the intracellular Ca2+ store. Although less abundant and regular than in the ventricle, t-tubules also exist in atrial myocytes as a network of transverse invaginations with axial extensions known as the transverse-axial tubule system (TATS). In heart failure and atrial fibrillation, there is TATS remodelling that is associated with aberrant Ca2+ -handling and Ca2+ -induced arrhythmic activity; however, the mechanism underlying this is not fully understood. To address this, we developed a novel 3D human atrial myocyte model that couples electrophysiology and Ca2+ -handling with variable TATS organization and density. We extensively parameterized and validated our model against experimental data to build a robust tool examining TATS regulation of subcellular Ca2+ release. We found that varying TATS density and thus the localization of key Ca2+ -handling proteins has profound effects on Ca2+ handling. Following TATS loss, there is reduced NCX that results in increased cleft Ca2+ concentration through decreased Ca2+ extrusion. This elevated Ca2+ increases RyR open probability causing spontaneous Ca2+ releases and the promotion of arrhythmogenic waves (especially in the cell interior) leading to voltage instabilities through delayed afterdepolarizations. In summary, the present study demonstrates a mechanistic link between TATS remodelling and Ca2+ -driven proarrhythmic behaviour that probably reflects the arrhythmogenic state observed in disease. KEY POINTS: Transverse-axial tubule systems (TATS) modulate Ca2+ handling and excitation-contraction coupling in atrial myocytes, with TATS remodelling in heart failure and atrial fibrillation being associated with altered Ca2+ cycling and subsequent arrhythmogenesis. To investigate the poorly understood mechanisms linking TATS variation and spontaneous Ca2+ release, we built, parameterized and validated a 3D human atrial myocyte model coupling electrophysiology and spatially-detailed subcellular Ca2+ handling governed by the TATS. Simulated TATS loss causes diastolic Ca2+ and voltage instabilities through reduced Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger-mediated Ca2+ removal, cleft Ca2+ accumulation and increased ryanodine receptor open probability, resulting in spontaneous Ca2+ release and promotion of arrhythmogenic waves and delayed afterdepolarizations. At fast electrical rates typical of atrial tachycardia/fibrillation, spontaneous Ca2+ releases are larger and more frequent in the cell interior than at the periphery. Our work provides mechanistic insight into how atrial TATS remodelling can lead to Ca2+ -driven instabilities that may ultimately contribute to the arrhythmogenic state in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- X. Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - H. Ni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - S. Morotti
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - C.E.R. Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - D. Sato
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - W.E. Louch
- Institute for Experimental Medical Research, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Cardiac Research, University of Oslo, Oslo Norway
| | - A.G. Edwards
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Simula Research Laboratory, Lysaker, Norway
| | - E. Grandi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Qu Z, Yan D, Song Z. Modeling Calcium Cycling in the Heart: Progress, Pitfalls, and Challenges. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1686. [PMID: 36421700 PMCID: PMC9687412 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca) cycling in the heart plays key roles in excitation-contraction coupling and arrhythmogenesis. In cardiac myocytes, the Ca release channels, i.e., the ryanodine receptors (RyRs), are clustered in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, forming Ca release units (CRUs). The RyRs in a CRU act collectively to give rise to discrete Ca release events, called Ca sparks. A cell contains hundreds to thousands of CRUs, diffusively coupled via Ca to form a CRU network. A rich spectrum of spatiotemporal Ca dynamics is observed in cardiac myocytes, including Ca sparks, spark clusters, mini-waves, persistent whole-cell waves, and oscillations. Models of different temporal and spatial scales have been developed to investigate these dynamics. Due to the complexities of the CRU network and the spatiotemporal Ca dynamics, it is challenging to model the Ca cycling dynamics in the cardiac system, particularly at the tissue sales. In this article, we review the progress of modeling of Ca cycling in cardiac systems from single RyRs to the tissue scale, the pros and cons of the current models and different modeling approaches, and the challenges to be tackled in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, A2-237 CHS, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dasen Yan
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518066, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518066, China
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10
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van Ham WB, Cornelissen CM, van Veen TAB. Uremic toxins in chronic kidney disease highlight a fundamental gap in understanding their detrimental effects on cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2022; 236:e13888. [PMID: 36148604 PMCID: PMC9787632 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have an estimated 700-800 and 523 million cases worldwide, respectively, with CVD being the leading cause of death in CKD patients. The pathophysiological interplay between the heart and kidneys is defined as the cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), in which worsening of kidney function is represented by increased plasma concentrations of uremic toxins (UTs), culminating in dialysis patients. As there is a high incidence of CVD in CKD patients, accompanied by arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, knowledge on electrophysiological remodeling would be instrumental for understanding the CRS. While the interplay between both organs is clearly of importance in CRS, the involvement of UTs in pro-arrhythmic remodeling is only poorly investigated, especially regarding the mechanistic background. Currently, the clinical approach against potential arrhythmic events is mainly restricted to symptom treatment, stressing the need for fundamental research on UT in relation to electrophysiology. This review addresses the existing knowledge of UTs and cardiac electrophysiology, and the experimental research gap between fundamental research and clinical research of the CRS. Clinically, mainly absorbents like ibuprofen and AST-120 are studied, which show limited safe and efficient usability. Experimental research shows disturbances in cardiac electrical activation and conduction after inducing CKD or exposure to UTs, but are scarcely present or focus solely on already well-investigated UTs. Based on UTs data derived from CKD patient cohort studies, a clinically relevant overview of physiological and pathological UTs concentrations is created. Using this, future experimental research is stimulated to involve electrophysiologically translatable animals, such as rabbits, or in vitro engineered heart tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem B. van Ham
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division Heart & LungsUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Carlijn M. Cornelissen
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division Heart & LungsUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Toon A. B. van Veen
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division Heart & LungsUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
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11
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Experimental hypothyroidism induces cardiac arrhythmias and ranolazine reverts and prevents the phenotype. Life Sci 2022; 308:120945. [PMID: 36096245 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and enhanced susceptibility to arrhythmias. In our investigation, we evaluated the potential involvement of late sodium current (INa,late) in cardiac arrhythmias in an experimental murine model of hypothyroidism. MAIN METHODS Male Swiss mice were treated with methimazole (0.1 % w/vol, during 21 days) to induce experimental hypothyroidism before ECG, action potential (AP) and intracellular Ca2+ dynamics were evaluated. Susceptibility to arrhythmia was measured in vitro and in vivo. KEY FINDINGS The results revealed that hypothyroid animals presented ECG alterations (e.g. increased QTc) with the presence of spontaneous sustained ventricular tachycardia. These changes were associated with depolarized resting membrane potential in isolated cardiomyocytes and increased AP duration and dispersion at 90 % of the repolarization. Aberrant AP waveforms were related to increased Ca2+ sparks and out-of-pace Ca2+ waves. These changes were observed in a scenario of enhanced INa,late. Interestingly, ranolazine, a clinically used blocker of INa,late, restored the ECG alterations, reduced Ca2+ sparks and aberrant waves, decreased the in vitro events and the severity of arrhythmias observed in isolated cardiomyocytes from hypothyroid animals. Using the in vivo dobutamine + caffeine protocol, animals with hypothyroidism developed catecholaminergic bidirectional ventricular tachycardia, but pre-treatment with ranolazine prevented this. SIGNIFICANCE We concluded that animals with hypothyroidism have increased susceptibility to developing arrhythmias and ranolazine, a clinically used blocker of INa,late, is able to correct the arrhythmic phenotype.
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Qu Z, Liu MB, Olcese R, Karagueuzian H, Garfinkel A, Chen PS, Weiss JN. R-on-T and the initiation of reentry revisited: Integrating old and new concepts. Heart Rhythm 2022; 19:1369-1383. [PMID: 35364332 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.03.1224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Initiation of reentry requires 2 factors: (1) a triggering event, most commonly focal excitations such as premature ventricular complexes (PVCs); and (2) a vulnerable substrate with regional dispersion of refractoriness and/or excitability, such as occurs during the T wave of the electrocardiogram when some areas of the ventricle have repolarized and recovered excitability but others have not. When the R wave of a PVC coincides in time with the T wave of the previous beat, this timing can lead to unidirectional block and initiation of reentry, known as the R-on-T phenomenon. Classically, the PVC triggering reentry has been viewed as arising focally from 1 region and propagating into another region whose recovery is delayed, resulting in unidirectional conduction block and reentry initiation. However, more recent evidence indicates that PVCs also can arise from the T wave itself. In the latter case, the PVC initiating reentry is not a separate event from the T wave but rather is causally generated from the repolarization gradient that manifests as the T wave. We call the former an "R-to-T" mechanism and the latter an "R-from-T" mechanism, which are initiation mechanisms distinct from each other. Both are important components of the R-on-T phenomenon and need to be taken into account when designing antiarrhythmic strategies. Strategies targeting suppression of triggers alone or vulnerable substrate alone may be appropriate in some instances but not in others. Preventing R-from-T arrhythmias requires suppressing the underlying dynamic tissue instabilities responsible for producing both triggers and substrate vulnerability simultaneously. The same principles are likely to apply to supraventricular arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Michael B Liu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Riccardo Olcese
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Hrayr Karagueuzian
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alan Garfinkel
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Peng-Sheng Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - James N Weiss
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
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Xia R, Tomsits P, Loy S, Zhang Z, Pauly V, Schüttler D, Clauss S. Cardiac Macrophages and Their Effects on Arrhythmogenesis. Front Physiol 2022; 13:900094. [PMID: 35812333 PMCID: PMC9257039 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.900094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac electrophysiology is a complex system established by a plethora of inward and outward ion currents in cardiomyocytes generating and conducting electrical signals in the heart. However, not only cardiomyocytes but also other cell types can modulate the heart rhythm. Recently, cardiac macrophages were demonstrated as important players in both electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. Cardiac macrophages are a heterogeneous group of immune cells including resident macrophages derived from embryonic and fetal precursors and recruited macrophages derived from circulating monocytes from the bone marrow. Recent studies suggest antiarrhythmic as well as proarrhythmic effects of cardiac macrophages. The proposed mechanisms of how cardiac macrophages affect electrophysiology vary and include both direct and indirect interactions with other cardiac cells. In this review, we provide an overview of the different subsets of macrophages in the heart and their possible interactions with cardiomyocytes under both physiologic conditions and heart disease. Furthermore, we elucidate similarities and differences between human, murine and porcine cardiac macrophages, thus providing detailed information for researchers investigating cardiac macrophages in important animal species for electrophysiologic research. Finally, we discuss the pros and cons of mice and pigs to investigate the role of cardiac macrophages in arrhythmogenesis from a translational perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibing Xia
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Tomsits
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Loy
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Valerie Pauly
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominik Schüttler
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Clauss
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- Institute of Surgical Research at the Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Sebastian Clauss,
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Geng Z, Jin L, Huang Y, Wu X. Rate dependence of early afterdepolarizations in the His-Purkinje system: A simulation study. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 217:106665. [PMID: 35172249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.106665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are associated with a variety of arrhythmias and have the property of rate dependence. EADs can occur in Purkinje cells while the effect of rate dependence of EADs in the His-Purkinje system has not been fully investigated. In order to reveal the rate dependence of EADs in the His-Purkinje system and its effect on ventricular electrical activities, the simulation research was carried out in this manuscript. METHODS This manuscript first studied the relationship between the occurrence of EADs and stimulation cycle length on the DiFranNoble cell model. Then, the relationship between the rate dependence of EADs and the conduction block of the His-Purkinje system at slow heart rates was studied on the rabbit whole ventricular model including the His-Purkinje system, and its mechanism was analyzed from multiple angles. RESULTS ① The rate dependence of EADs is related to the inconsistency of EADs occurrence in the His-Purkinje system. When the stimulation cycle length is long or short enough, EADs either occur or not occur stably in the His-Purkinje system, while in a certain stimulation cycle length window, the chaotic state of EADs will be observed. ② The key subcellular factors x-gate is an important mechanism involved to the rate dependence of EADs in the His-Purkinje system. ③ The discrete distribution of x-gate values and the "source-sink" mechanism lead to the inconsistency of EADs in the His-Purkinje system. The prolonged action potential duration caused by EADs can lead to conduction block at slow heart rates. CONCLUSION The rate dependence of EADs in Purkinje system can lead to disordered ventricular electrical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihui Geng
- Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Lian Jin
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yanqi Huang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of information Science and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Xiaomei Wu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Assistive Devices, Yiwu Research Institute of Fudan University, 322000, Chengbei Road, Yiwu City, 322000 Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) of Shanghai, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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Tsumoto K, Kurata Y. Bifurcations and Proarrhythmic Behaviors in Cardiac Electrical Excitations. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030459. [PMID: 35327651 PMCID: PMC8946197 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is a hierarchical dynamic system consisting of molecules, cells, and tissues, and acts as a pump for blood circulation. The pumping function depends critically on the preceding electrical activity, and disturbances in the pattern of excitation propagation lead to cardiac arrhythmia and pump failure. Excitation phenomena in cardiomyocytes have been modeled as a nonlinear dynamical system. Because of the nonlinearity of excitation phenomena, the system dynamics could be complex, and various analyses have been performed to understand the complex dynamics. Understanding the mechanisms underlying proarrhythmic responses in the heart is crucial for developing new ways to prevent and control cardiac arrhythmias and resulting contractile dysfunction. When the heart changes to a pathological state over time, the action potential (AP) in cardiomyocytes may also change to a different state in shape and duration, often undergoing a qualitative change in behavior. Such a dynamic change is called bifurcation. In this review, we first summarize the contribution of ion channels and transporters to AP formation and our knowledge of ion-transport molecules, then briefly describe bifurcation theory for nonlinear dynamical systems, and finally detail its recent progress, focusing on the research that attempts to understand the developing mechanisms of abnormal excitations in cardiomyocytes from the perspective of bifurcation phenomena.
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Colman MA, Alvarez-Lacalle E, Echebarria B, Sato D, Sutanto H, Heijman J. Multi-Scale Computational Modeling of Spatial Calcium Handling From Nanodomain to Whole-Heart: Overview and Perspectives. Front Physiol 2022; 13:836622. [PMID: 35370783 PMCID: PMC8964409 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.836622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of intracellular calcium is a critical component of cardiac electrophysiology and excitation-contraction coupling. The calcium spark, the fundamental element of the intracellular calcium transient, is initiated in specialized nanodomains which co-locate the ryanodine receptors and L-type calcium channels. However, calcium homeostasis is ultimately regulated at the cellular scale, by the interaction of spatially separated but diffusively coupled nanodomains with other sub-cellular and surface-membrane calcium transport channels with strong non-linear interactions; and cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms are ultimately tissue-scale phenomena, regulated by the interaction of a heterogeneous population of coupled myocytes. Recent advances in imaging modalities and image-analysis are enabling the super-resolution reconstruction of the structures responsible for regulating calcium homeostasis, including the internal structure of nanodomains themselves. Extrapolating functional and imaging data from the nanodomain to the whole-heart is non-trivial, yet essential for translational insight into disease mechanisms. Computational modeling has important roles to play in relating structural and functional data at the sub-cellular scale and translating data across the scales. This review covers recent methodological advances that enable image-based modeling of the single nanodomain and whole cardiomyocyte, as well as the development of multi-scale simulation approaches to integrate data from nanometer to whole-heart. Firstly, methods to overcome the computational challenges of simulating spatial calcium dynamics in the nanodomain are discussed, including image-based modeling at this scale. Then, recent whole-cell models, capable of capturing a range of different structures (such as the T-system and mitochondria) and cellular heterogeneity/variability are discussed at two different levels of discretization. Novel methods to integrate the models and data across the scales and simulate stochastic dynamics in tissue-scale models are then discussed, enabling elucidation of the mechanisms by which nanodomain remodeling underlies arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction. Perspectives on model differences and future directions are provided throughout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Colman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Michael A. Colman,
| | | | - Blas Echebarria
- Departament de Fisica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daisuke Sato
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Henry Sutanto
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Mettl3 deficiency leads to the upregulation of Cav1.2 and increases arrhythmia susceptibility in mice. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2022; 54:199-208. [PMID: 35130614 PMCID: PMC9909299 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2021025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Methyltransferase-like 3 (Mettl3) is a component of methyltransferase complex that mediates mA modification of RNAs, and participates in multiple biological processes. However, the role of Mettl3 in cardiac electrophysiology remains unknown. This study aims to explore the ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility of Mettl3 mice and the underlying mechanisms. Mice were anesthetized with 2% avertin (0.1 mL/ body weight) for echocardiography and programmed electrical pacing. Whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to examine the electrophysiological property of cardiomyocytes. The expression of Cav1.2 was determined by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. The mA medication of mRNA was examined by MeRIP-Seq and MeRIP-qPCR. No differences are found in the morphology and function of the hearts between Mettl3 mice and wild-type (WT) controls. The QT and QTc intervals of Mettl3 mice are significantly longer. High-frequency electrical stimulation showed that heterozygous knockout of Mettl3 increases ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility. The whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed that the APD is prolonged in Mettl3 ventricular myocytes and more EADs were observed. The density of is substantially increased in ventricular myocytes of Mettl3 mice. The pore-forming subunit of L-type calcium channel Cav1.2 is upregulated in Mettl3 mice, while the mRNA of its coding gene does not change. MeRIP-Seq and MeRIP-qPCR showed that the mA methylation of mRNA is decreased in cultured Mettl3-knockdown cardiomyocytes and Mettl3 hearts. Collectively, deficiency of Mettl3 increases ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility due to the upregulation of Cav1.2 by reducing mA modification onmRNA in mice. This study highlights the role of mA modification in the regulation of cardiac electrophysiology.
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Millet J, Aguilar-Sanchez Y, Kornyeyev D, Bazmi M, Fainstein D, Copello JA, Escobar AL. Thermal modulation of epicardial Ca2+ dynamics uncovers molecular mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:211659. [PMID: 33410862 PMCID: PMC7797898 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ca2+ alternans (Ca-Alts) are alternating beat-to-beat changes in the amplitude of Ca2+ transients that frequently occur during tachycardia, ischemia, or hypothermia that can lead to sudden cardiac death. Ca-Alts appear to result from a variation in the amount of Ca2+ released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) between two consecutive heartbeats. This variable Ca2+ release has been attributed to the alternation of the action potential duration, delay in the recovery from inactivation of RYR Ca2+ release channel (RYR2), or an incomplete Ca2+ refilling of the SR. In all three cases, the RYR2 mobilizes less Ca2+ from the SR in an alternating manner, thereby generating an alternating profile of the Ca2+ transients. We used a new experimental approach, fluorescence local field optical mapping (FLOM), to record at the epicardial layer of an intact heart with subcellular resolution. In conjunction with a local cold finger, a series of images were recorded within an area where the local cooling induced a temperature gradient. Ca-Alts were larger in colder regions and occurred without changes in action potential duration. Analysis of the change in the enthalpy and Q10 of several kinetic processes defining intracellular Ca2+ dynamics indicated that the effects of temperature change on the relaxation of intracellular Ca2+ transients involved both passive and active mechanisms. The steep temperature dependency of Ca-Alts during tachycardia suggests Ca-Alts are generated by insufficient SERCA-mediated Ca2+ uptake into the SR. We found that Ca-Alts are heavily dependent on intra-SR Ca2+ and can be promoted through partial pharmacologic inhibition of SERCA2a. Finally, the FLOM experimental approach has the potential to help us understand how arrhythmogenesis correlates with the spatial distribution of metabolically impaired myocytes along the myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Millet
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Politècnica de València and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yuriana Aguilar-Sanchez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.,School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA
| | - Dmytro Kornyeyev
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA
| | - Maedeh Bazmi
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA
| | - Diego Fainstein
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Entre Ríos, Argentina.,Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA
| | - Julio A Copello
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL
| | - Ariel L Escobar
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA
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Chronic Ethanol Exposure Induces Deleterious Changes in Cardiomyocytes Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 17:2314-2331. [PMID: 34564802 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-021-10267-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol consumption in adults can induce cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, and heart failure. In newborns, prenatal alcohol exposure can increase the risk of congenital heart diseases. Understanding biological mechanisms involved in the long-term alcohol exposure-induced cardiotoxicity is pivotal to the discovery of therapeutic strategies. In this study, cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) were treated with clinically relevant doses of ethanol for various durations up to 5 weeks. The treated cells were characterized for their cellular properties and functions, and global proteomic profiling was conducted to understand the molecular changes associated with long-term ethanol exposure. Increased cell death, oxidative stress, deranged Ca2+ handling, abnormal action potential, altered contractility, and suppressed structure development were observed in ethanol-treated cells. Many dysregulated proteins identified by global proteomic profiling were involved in apoptosis, heart contraction, and extracellular collagen matrix. In addition, several signaling pathways including the Wnt and TGFβ signaling pathways were affected due to long-term ethanol treatment. Therefore, chronic ethanol treatment of hiPSC-CMs induces cardiotoxicity, impairs cardiac functions, and alters protein expression and signaling pathways. This study demonstrates the utility of hiPSC-CMs as a novel model for chronic alcohol exposure study and provides the molecular mechanisms associated with long-term alcohol exposure in human cardiomyocytes.
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Sun Z, Wang L, Han L, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Li Q, Wu Y, Talabieke S, Hou Y, Wu L, Liu R, Fu Z, You H, Li BY, Zheng Y, Luo D. Functional Calsequestrin-1 Is Expressed in the Heart and Its Deficiency Is Causally Related to Malignant Hyperthermia-Like Arrhythmia. Circulation 2021; 144:788-804. [PMID: 34162222 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.121.053255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Calsequestrins (Casqs), comprising the Casq1 and Casq2 isoforms, buffer Ca2+ and regulate its release in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of skeletal and cardiac muscle, respectively. Human inherited diseases associated with mutations in CASQ1 or CASQ2 include malignant hyperthermia/environmental heat stroke (MH/EHS) and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. However, patients with an MH/EHS event often suffer from arrhythmia for which the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Methods: Working hearts from conventional (Casq1-KO) and cardiac-specific (Casq1-CKO) Casq1 knockout mice were monitored in vivo and ex vivo by electrocardiogram and electrical mapping, respectively. MH was induced by 2% isoflurane and treated intraperitoneally with dantrolene. Time-lapse imaging was used to monitor intracellular Ca2+ activity in isolated mouse cardiomyocytes or neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) with knockdown, over-expression or truncation of the Casq1 gene. Conformational change in both Casqs was determined by crosslinking Western blot analysis. Results: Like MH/EHS patients, Casq1-KO and Casq1-CKO mice had faster basal heart rate, and ventricular tachycardia upon exposure to 2% isoflurane, which could be relieved by dantrolene. Basal sinus tachycardia and ventricular ectopic electrical triggering also occurred in Casq1-KO hearts ex vivo. Accordingly, the ventricular cardiomyocytes from Casq1-CKO mice displayed dantrolene-sensitive increased Ca2+ waves and diastole premature Ca2+ transients/oscillations upon isoflurane. NRVMs with Casq1-knockdown had enhanced spontaneous Ca2+ sparks/transients upon isoflurane, while cells over-expressing Casq1 exhibited decreased Ca2+ sparks/transients that were absent in cells with truncation of 9 amino acids at the C-terminus of Casq1. Structural evaluation showed that most of the Casq1 protein was present as a polymer and physically interacted with RyR2 in the ventricular SR. The Casq1 isoform was also expressed in human myocardium. Mechanistically, exposure to 2% isoflurane or heating at 41ºC induced Casq1 oligomerization in mouse ventricular and skeletal muscle tissues, leading to a reduced Casq1/RyR2 interaction and increased RyR2 activity in the ventricle. Conclusions: Casq1 is expressed in the heart, where it regulates SR Ca2+ release and heart rate. Casq1 deficiency independently causes MH/EHS-like ventricular arrhythmia by trigger-induced Casq1 oligomerization and a relief of its inhibitory effect on RyR2-mediated Ca2+ release, thus revealing a new inherited arrhythmia and a novel mechanism for MH/EHS arrhythmogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Luqi Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Lu Han
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100011, P. R. China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100011, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100011, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Yongquan Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100011, P. R. China
| | - Shaletanati Talabieke
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Yunlong Hou
- College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine; National Key Laboratory of Collateral Disease Research and Innovative Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, P. R. China
| | - Lulin Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Ronghua Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Zhiping Fu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Hongjie You
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Bai-Yan Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
| | - Dali Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disturbance Related Cardiovascular Disease, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
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Word TA, Quick AP, Miyake CY, Shak MK, Pan X, Kim JJ, Allen HD, Sibrian‐Vazquez M, Strongin RM, Landstrom AP, Wehrens XHT. Efficacy of RyR2 inhibitor EL20 in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from a patient with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:6115-6124. [PMID: 34110090 PMCID: PMC8366453 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is an inherited cardiac arrhythmia syndrome that often leads to sudden cardiac death. The most common form of CPVT is caused by autosomal-dominant variants in the cardiac ryanodine receptor type-2 (RYR2) gene. Mutations in RYR2 promote calcium (Ca2+ ) leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), triggering lethal arrhythmias. Recently, it was demonstrated that tetracaine derivative EL20 specifically inhibits mutant RyR2, normalizes Ca2+ handling and suppresses arrhythmias in a CPVT mouse model. The objective of this study was to determine whether EL20 normalizes SR Ca2+ handling and arrhythmic events in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) from a CPVT patient. Blood samples from a child carrying RyR2 variant RyR2 variant Arg-176-Glu (R176Q) and a mutation-negative relative were reprogrammed into iPSCs using a Sendai virus system. iPSC-CMs were derived using the StemdiffTM kit. Confocal Ca2+ imaging was used to quantify RyR2 activity in the absence and presence of EL20. iPSC-CMs harbouring the R176Q variant demonstrated spontaneous SR Ca2+ release events, whereas administration of EL20 diminished these abnormal events at low nanomolar concentrations (IC50 = 82 nM). Importantly, treatment with EL20 did not have any adverse effects on systolic Ca2+ handling in control iPSC-CMs. Our results show for the first time that tetracaine derivative EL20 normalized SR Ca2+ handling and suppresses arrhythmogenic activity in iPSC-CMs derived from a CPVT patient. Hence, this study confirms that this RyR2-inhibitor represents a promising therapeutic candidate for treatment of CPVT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarah A. Word
- Department of Molecular Physiology & BiophysicsCardiovascular Research InstituteBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Ann P. Quick
- Section of CardiologyDepartment of PediatricsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Christina Y. Miyake
- Department of Molecular Physiology & BiophysicsCardiovascular Research InstituteBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
- Section of CardiologyDepartment of PediatricsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Mayra K. Shak
- Department of Molecular Physiology & BiophysicsCardiovascular Research InstituteBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Xiaolu Pan
- Department of Molecular Physiology & BiophysicsCardiovascular Research InstituteBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Jean J. Kim
- Department of Molecular & Cellular BiologyStem Cells and Regenerative Medicine CenterBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | - Hugh D. Allen
- Department of Molecular & Cellular BiologyStem Cells and Regenerative Medicine CenterBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
| | | | | | - Andrew P. Landstrom
- Department of PediatricsDivision of CardiologyDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNCUSA
- Department of Cell BiologyDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNCUSA
| | - Xander H. T. Wehrens
- Department of Molecular Physiology & BiophysicsCardiovascular Research InstituteBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
- Section of CardiologyDepartment of PediatricsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
- Department of MedicineSection of CardiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceSection of CardiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
- Center for Space MedicineBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTXUSA
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22
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Zhang Z, Qu Z. Mechanisms of phase-3 early afterdepolarizations and triggered activities in ventricular myocyte models. Physiol Rep 2021; 9:e14883. [PMID: 34110715 PMCID: PMC8191176 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are abnormal depolarizations during the repolarizing phase of the action potential, which are associated with cardiac arrhythmogenesis. EADs are classified into phase-2 and phase-3 EADs. Phase-2 EADs occur during phase 2 of the action potential, with takeoff potentials typically above -40 mV. Phase-3 EADs occur during phase 3 of the action potential, with takeoff potential between -70 and -50 mV. Since the amplitude of phase-3 EADs can be as large as that of a regular action potential, they are also called triggered activities (TAs). This also makes phase-3 EADs and TAs much more arrhythmogenic than phase-2 EADs since they can propagate easily in tissue. Although phase-2 EADs have been widely observed, phase-3 EADs and TAs have been rarely demonstrated in isolated ventricular myocytes. Here we carry out computer simulations of three widely used ventricular action potential models to investigate the mechanisms of phase-3 EADs and TAs. We show that when the T-type Ca2+ current (ICa,T ) is absent (e.g., in normal ventricular myocytes), besides the requirement of increasing inward currents and reducing outward currents as for phase-2 EADs, the occurrence of phase-3 EADs and TAs requires a substantially large increase of the L-type Ca2+ current and the slow component of the delayed rectifier K+ current. The presence of ICa,T (e.g., in neonatal and failing ventricular myocytes) can greatly reduce the thresholds of these two currents for phase-3 EADs and TAs. This implies that ICa,T may play an important role in arrhythmogenesis in cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Zhang
- Department of MedicineDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of MedicineDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Department of Computational MedicineDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
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23
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Amuzescu B, Airini R, Epureanu FB, Mann SA, Knott T, Radu BM. Evolution of mathematical models of cardiomyocyte electrophysiology. Math Biosci 2021; 334:108567. [PMID: 33607174 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2021.108567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Advanced computational techniques and mathematical modeling have become more and more important to the study of cardiac electrophysiology. In this review, we provide a brief history of the evolution of cardiomyocyte electrophysiology models and highlight some of the most important ones that had a major impact on our understanding of the electrical activity of the myocardium and associated transmembrane ion fluxes in normal and pathological states. We also present the use of these models in the study of various arrhythmogenesis mechanisms, particularly the integration of experimental pharmacology data into advanced humanized models for in silico proarrhythmogenic risk prediction as an essential component of the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) drug safety paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Amuzescu
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania.
| | - Razvan Airini
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania
| | - Florin Bogdan Epureanu
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania
| | - Stefan A Mann
- Cytocentrics Bioscience GmbH, Nattermannallee 1, 50829 Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Knott
- CytoBioScience Inc., 3463 Magic Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Beatrice Mihaela Radu
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania; Life, Environmental and Earth Sciences Division, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest 050095, Romania
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24
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Siri-Angkul N, Song Z, Fefelova N, Gwathmey JK, Chattipakorn SC, Qu Z, Chattipakorn N, Xie LH. Activation of TRPC (Transient Receptor Potential Canonical) Channel Currents in Iron Overloaded Cardiac Myocytes. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2021; 14:e009291. [PMID: 33417472 DOI: 10.1161/circep.120.009291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arrhythmias and heart failure are common cardiac complications leading to substantial morbidity and mortality in patients with hemochromatosis, yet mechanistic insights remain incomplete. We investigated the effects of iron (Fe) on electrophysiological properties and intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) handling in mouse left ventricular cardiomyocytes. METHODS Cardiomyocytes were isolated from the left ventricle of mouse hearts and were superfused with Fe3+/8-hydroxyquinoline complex (5-100 μM). Membrane potential and ionic currents including TRPC (transient receptor potential canonical) were recorded using the patch-clamp technique. Ca2+i was evaluated by using Fluo-4. Cell contraction was measured with a video-based edge detection system. The role of TRPCs in the genesis of arrhythmias was also investigated by using a mathematical model of a mouse ventricular myocyte with the incorporation of the TRPC component. RESULTS We observed prolongation of the action potential duration and induction of early and delayed afterdepolarizations in myocytes superfused with 15 µmol/L Fe3+/8-hydroxyquinoline complex. Iron treatment decreased the peak amplitude of the L-type Ca2+ current and total K+ current, altered Ca2+i dynamics, and decreased cell contractility. During the final phase of Fe treatment, sustained Ca2+i waves and repolarization failure occurred and ventricular cells became unexcitable. Gadolinium abolished Ca2+i waves and restored the resting membrane potential to the normal range. The involvement of TRPC activation was confirmed by TRPC channel current recordings in the absence or presence of functional TRPC channel antibodies. Computer modeling captured the same action potential and Ca2+i dynamics and provided additional mechanistic insights. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that iron overload induces cardiac dysfunction that is associated with TRPC channel activation and alterations in membrane potential and Ca2+i dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natthaphat Siri-Angkul
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark (N.S.-A., N.F., J.K.G., L.-H.X.).,Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center (N.S.-A., S.C.C., N.C.), Chiang Mai University, Thailand.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine (N.S.-A., N.C.), Chiang Mai University, Thailand
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles (Z.S., Z.Q.)
| | - Nadezhda Fefelova
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark (N.S.-A., N.F., J.K.G., L.-H.X.)
| | - Judith K Gwathmey
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark (N.S.-A., N.F., J.K.G., L.-H.X.)
| | - Siriporn C Chattipakorn
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center (N.S.-A., S.C.C., N.C.), Chiang Mai University, Thailand
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, Los Angeles (Z.S., Z.Q.)
| | - Nipon Chattipakorn
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center (N.S.-A., S.C.C., N.C.), Chiang Mai University, Thailand.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine (N.S.-A., N.C.), Chiang Mai University, Thailand
| | - Lai-Hua Xie
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark (N.S.-A., N.F., J.K.G., L.-H.X.)
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25
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Landaw J, Yuan X, Chen PS, Qu Z. The transient outward potassium current plays a key role in spiral wave breakup in ventricular tissue. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2021; 320:H826-H837. [PMID: 33385322 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00608.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Spiral wave reentry as a mechanism of lethal ventricular arrhythmias has been widely demonstrated in animal experiments and recordings from human hearts. It has been shown that in structurally normal hearts spiral waves are unstable, breaking up into multiple wavelets via dynamical instabilities. However, many of the second-generation action potential models give rise only to stable spiral waves, raising issues regarding the underlying mechanisms of spiral wave breakup. In this study, we carried out computer simulations of two-dimensional homogeneous tissues using five ventricular action potential models. We show that the transient outward potassium current (Ito), although it is not required, plays a key role in promoting spiral wave breakup in all five models. As the maximum conductance of Ito increases, it first promotes spiral wave breakup and then stabilizes the spiral waves. In the absence of Ito, speeding up the L-type calcium kinetics can prevent spiral wave breakup, however, with the same speedup kinetics, spiral wave breakup can be promoted by increasing Ito. Increasing Ito promotes single-cell dynamical instabilities, including action potential duration alternans and chaos, and increasing Ito further suppresses these action potential dynamics. These cellular properties agree with the observation that increasing Ito first promotes spiral wave breakup and then stabilizes spiral waves in tissue. Implications of our observations to spiral wave dynamics in the real hearts and action potential model improvements are discussed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Spiral wave breakup manifesting as multiple wavelets is a mechanism of ventricular fibrillation. It has been known that spiral wave breakup in cardiac tissue can be caused by a steeply sloped action potential duration restitution curve, a property mainly determined by the recovery of L-type calcium current. Here, we show that the transient outward potassium current (Ito) is another current that plays a key role in spiral wave breakup, that is, spiral waves can be stable for low and high maximum Ito conductance but breakup occurs for intermediate maximum Ito conductance. Since Ito is present in normal hearts of many species and required for Brugada syndrome, it may play an important role in the spiral wave stability and arrhythmogenesis under both normal condition and Brugada syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Landaw
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Xiaoping Yuan
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Information Engineering School, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
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26
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Pandey V, Xie LH, Qu Z, Song Z. Mitochondrial depolarization promotes calcium alternans: Mechanistic insights from a ventricular myocyte model. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008624. [PMID: 33493168 PMCID: PMC7861552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are vital organelles inside the cell and contribute to intracellular calcium (Ca2+) dynamics directly and indirectly via calcium exchange, ATP generation, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Arrhythmogenic Ca2+ alternans in cardiac myocytes has been observed in experiments under abnormal mitochondrial depolarization. However, complex signaling pathways and Ca2+ cycling between mitochondria and cytosol make it difficult in experiments to reveal the underlying mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans under abnormal mitochondrial depolarization. In this study, we use a newly developed spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte computer model that integrates mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling and complex signaling pathways to investigate the mechanisms of Ca2+ alternans during mitochondrial depolarization. We find that elevation of ROS in response to mitochondrial depolarization plays a critical role in promoting Ca2+ alternans. Further examination reveals that the redox effect of ROS on ryanodine receptors and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase synergistically promote alternans. Upregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter promotes Ca2+ alternans via Ca2+-dependent mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Due to their relatively slow kinetics, oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation and ATP do not play significant roles acutely in the genesis of Ca2+ alternans after mitochondrial depolarization, but their roles can be significant in the long term, mainly through their effects on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity. In conclusion, mitochondrial depolarization promotes Ca2+ alternans acutely via the redox effect of ROS and chronically by ATP reduction. It suppresses Ca2+ alternans chronically through oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Pandey
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Lai-Hua Xie
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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27
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Hasegawa T, Nogami A, Aonuma K, Ieda M. Termination of long-duration ventricular fibrillation by catheter ablation. HeartRhythm Case Rep 2020; 6:955-959. [PMID: 33365248 PMCID: PMC7749215 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrcr.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoaki Hasegawa
- Department of Cardiology, Hitachi General Hospital, Hitachi, Japan
| | - Akihiko Nogami
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Aonuma
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masaki Ieda
- Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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28
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Zhang Z, Liu MB, Huang X, Song Z, Qu Z. Mechanisms of Premature Ventricular Complexes Caused by QT Prolongation. Biophys J 2020; 120:352-369. [PMID: 33333033 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
QT prolongation, due to lengthening of the action potential duration in the ventricles, is a major risk factor of lethal ventricular arrhythmias. A widely known consequence of QT prolongation is the genesis of early afterdepolarizations (EADs), which are associated with arrhythmias through the generation of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). However, the vast majority of the EADs observed experimentally in isolated ventricular myocytes are phase-2 EADs, and whether phase-2 EADs are mechanistically linked to PVCs in cardiac tissue remains an unanswered question. In this study, we investigate the genesis of PVCs using computer simulations with eight different ventricular action potential models of various species. Based on our results, we classify PVCs as arising from two distinct mechanisms: repolarization gradient (RG)-induced PVCs and phase-2 EAD-induced PVCs. The RG-induced PVCs are promoted by increasing RG and L-type calcium current and are insensitive to gap junction coupling. EADs are not required for this PVC mechanism. In a paced beat, a single or multiple PVCs can occur depending on the properties of the RG. In contrast, phase-2 EAD-induced PVCs occur only when the RG is small and are suppressed by increasing RG and more sensitive to gap junction coupling. Unlike with RG-induced PVCs, in each paced beat, only a single EAD-induced PVC can occur no matter how many EADs in an action potential. In the wide parameter ranges we explore, RG-induced PVCs can be observed in all models, but the EAD-induced PVCs can only be observed in five of the eight models. The links between these two distinct PVC mechanisms and arrhythmogenesis in animal experiments and clinical settings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Zhang
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael B Liu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
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29
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Gintant G, Kaushik EP, Feaster T, Stoelzle-Feix S, Kanda Y, Osada T, Smith G, Czysz K, Kettenhofen R, Lu HR, Cai B, Shi H, Herron TJ, Dang Q, Burton F, Pang L, Traebert M, Abassi Y, Pierson JB, Blinova K. Repolarization studies using human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes: Validation studies and best practice recommendations. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 117:104756. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2020.104756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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30
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Varró A, Tomek J, Nagy N, Virág L, Passini E, Rodriguez B, Baczkó I. Cardiac transmembrane ion channels and action potentials: cellular physiology and arrhythmogenic behavior. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1083-1176. [PMID: 33118864 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00024.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are among the leading causes of mortality. They often arise from alterations in the electrophysiological properties of cardiac cells and their underlying ionic mechanisms. It is therefore critical to further unravel the pathophysiology of the ionic basis of human cardiac electrophysiology in health and disease. In the first part of this review, current knowledge on the differences in ion channel expression and properties of the ionic processes that determine the morphology and properties of cardiac action potentials and calcium dynamics from cardiomyocytes in different regions of the heart are described. Then the cellular mechanisms promoting arrhythmias in congenital or acquired conditions of ion channel function (electrical remodeling) are discussed. The focus is on human-relevant findings obtained with clinical, experimental, and computational studies, given that interspecies differences make the extrapolation from animal experiments to human clinical settings difficult. Deepening the understanding of the diverse pathophysiology of human cellular electrophysiology will help in developing novel and effective antiarrhythmic strategies for specific subpopulations and disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Varró
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jakub Tomek
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Norbert Nagy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Virág
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elisa Passini
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Blanca Rodriguez
- Department of Computer Science, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - István Baczkó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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31
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Song Z, Qu Z. Delayed global feedback in the genesis and stability of spatiotemporal excitation patterns in paced biological excitable media. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007931. [PMID: 33017392 PMCID: PMC7561267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological excitable media, such as cardiac or neural cells and tissue, exhibit memory in which a change in the present excitation may affect the behaviors in the next excitation. For example, a change in calcium (Ca2+) concentration in a cell in the present excitation may affect the Ca2+ dynamics in the next excitation via bi-directional coupling between voltage and Ca2+, forming a delayed feedback loop. Since the Ca2+ dynamics inside the excitable cells are spatiotemporal while the membrane voltage is a global signal, the feedback loop is then a delayed global feedback (DGF) loop. In this study, we investigate the roles of DGF in the genesis and stability of spatiotemporal excitation patterns in periodically-paced excitable media using mathematical models with different levels of complexity: a model composed of coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo units, a 3-dimensional physiologically-detailed ventricular myocyte model, and a coupled map lattice model. We investigate the dynamics of excitation patterns that are temporal period-2 (P2) and spatially concordant or discordant, such as subcellular concordant or discordant Ca2+alternans in cardiac myocytes or spatially concordant or discordant Ca2+ and repolarization alternans in cardiac tissue. Our modeling approach allows both computer simulations and rigorous analytical treatments, which lead to the following results and conclusions. When DGF is absent, concordant and discordant P2 patterns occur depending on initial conditions with the discordant P2 patterns being spatially random. When the DGF is negative, only concordant P2 patterns exist. When the DGF is positive, both concordant and discordant P2 patterns can occur. The discordant P2 patterns are still spatially random, but they satisfy that the global signal exhibits a temporal period-1 behavior. The theoretical analyses of the coupled map lattice model reveal the underlying instabilities and bifurcations for the genesis, selection, and stability of spatiotemporal excitation patterns. Understanding the mechanisms of pattern formation in biological systems is of great importance. Here we investigate the dynamical mechanisms by which delayed global feedback affects excitation pattern formation and stability in periodically-paced biological excitable media, such as cardiac or neural cells and tissue. We focus on the formation and stability of the temporal period-2 and spatially in-phase and out-of-phase excitation patterns. Using models of different levels of complexity, we show that when the delayed global feedback is negative, only the spatially in-phase patterns are stable. When the feedback is positive, both spatially in-phase and out-of-phase patterns are stable, and the out-of-phase patterns are spatially random but satisfy that the global signals are temporal period-1 solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- * E-mail: (ZS); (ZQ)
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ZS); (ZQ)
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32
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Chu Z, Yang D, Huang X. Conditions for the genesis of early afterdepolarization in a model of a ventricular myocyte. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2020; 30:043105. [PMID: 32357650 DOI: 10.1063/1.5133086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Early afterdepolarization (EAD) is a major arrhythmogenic factor in the long QT syndrome (LQTS), whose conditions for genesis have puzzled people for several decades. Here, we employ the phase I Luo-Rudy ventricular myocyte model to investigate EAD using methods from nonlinear dynamics and provide valuable insights into EAD genesis from a physical perspective. Two major results are obtained: (i) Sufficient parametric conditions for EAD are analytically determined and then used to analyze in detail the effects of the physiological parameters. (ii) The normal form of the Hopf bifurcation that leads to EAD is derived and then used to determine whether the Hopf bifurcation is subcritical or supercritical for EAD genesis and the corresponding amplitude and period of the EAD oscillation. Our work here paves the way for further studies of more complicated multi-scale dynamics of EAD and may lead to effective treatments for LQTS arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikun Chu
- Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Dongping Yang
- Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Colman MA, Holmes M, Whittaker DG, Jayasinghe I, Benson AP. Multi-scale approaches for the simulation of cardiac electrophysiology: I - Sub-cellular and stochastic calcium dynamics from cell to organ. Methods 2020; 185:49-59. [PMID: 32126258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational models of the heart at multiple spatial scales, from sub-cellular nanodomains to the whole-organ, are a powerful tool for the simulation of cardiac electrophysiology. Application of these models has provided remarkable insight into the normal and pathological functioning of the heart. In these two articles, we present methods for modelling cardiac electrophysiology at all of these spatial scales. In part one, presented here, we discuss methods and approaches for modelling sub-cellular calcium dynamics at the whole-cell and organ scales, valuable for modelling excitation-contraction coupling and mechanisms of arrhythmia triggers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Colman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Maxx Holmes
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Dominic G Whittaker
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Izzy Jayasinghe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alan P Benson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a genetic disorder characterized by the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias, myocardial dysfunction and fibrofatty replacement of myocardial tissue. Mutations in genes that encode components of desmosomes, the adhesive junctions that connect cardiomyocytes, are the predominant cause of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and can be identified in about half of patients with the condition. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to myocardial destruction, remodelling and arrhythmic predisposition remain poorly understood. Through the development of animal, induced pluripotent stem cell and other models of disease, advances in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy over the past decade have brought several signalling pathways into focus. These pathways include canonical and non-canonical WNT signalling, the Hippo-Yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway and transforming growth factor-β signalling. These studies have begun to identify potential therapeutic targets whose modulation has shown promise in preclinical models. In this Review, we summarize and discuss the reported molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
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Kurata Y, Tsumoto K, Hayashi K, Hisatome I, Kuda Y, Tanida M. Multiple Dynamical Mechanisms of Phase-2 Early Afterdepolarizations in a Human Ventricular Myocyte Model: Involvement of Spontaneous SR Ca 2+ Release. Front Physiol 2020; 10:1545. [PMID: 31998140 PMCID: PMC6965073 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Early afterdepolarization (EAD) is known to cause lethal ventricular arrhythmias in long QT syndrome (LQTS). In this study, dynamical mechanisms of EAD formation in human ventricular myocytes (HVMs) were investigated using the mathematical model developed by ten Tusscher and Panfilov (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 291, 2006). We explored how the rapid (IKr) and slow (IKs) components of delayed-rectifier K+ channel currents, L-type Ca2+ channel current (ICa L), Na+/Ca2+ exchanger current (INCX), and intracellular Ca2+ handling via the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) contribute to initiation, termination and modulation of phase-2 EADs during pacing in relation to bifurcation phenomena in non-paced model cells. Parameter-dependent dynamical behaviors of the non-paced model cell were determined by calculating stabilities of equilibrium points (EPs) and limit cycles, and bifurcation points to construct bifurcation diagrams. Action potentials (APs) and EADs during pacing were reproduced by numerical simulations for constructing phase diagrams of the paced model cell dynamics. Results are summarized as follows: (1) A modified version of the ten Tusscher-Panfilov model with accelerated ICaL inactivation could reproduce bradycardia-related EADs in LQTS type 2 and β-adrenergic stimulation-induced EADs in LQTS type 1. (2) Two types of EADs with different initiation mechanisms, ICaL reactivation-dependent and spontaneous SR Ca2+ release-mediated EADs, were detected. (3) Termination of EADs (AP repolarization) during pacing depended on the slow activation of IKs. (4) Spontaneous SR Ca2+ releases occurred at higher Ca2+ uptake rates, attributable to the instability of steady-state intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Dynamical mechanisms of EAD formation and termination in the paced model cell are closely related to stability changes (bifurcations) in dynamical behaviors of the non-paced model cell, but they are model-dependent. Nevertheless, the modified ten Tusscher-Panfilov model would be useful for systematically investigating possible dynamical mechanisms of EAD-related arrhythmias in LQTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasutaka Kurata
- Department of Physiology II, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan
| | - Kunichika Tsumoto
- Department of Physiology II, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan
| | - Kenshi Hayashi
- Department of Cardiovascular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Ichiro Hisatome
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Yuhichi Kuda
- Department of Physiology II, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan
| | - Mamoru Tanida
- Department of Physiology II, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan
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Song Z, Xie LH, Weiss JN, Qu Z. A Spatiotemporal Ventricular Myocyte Model Incorporating Mitochondrial Calcium Cycling. Biophys J 2019; 117:2349-2360. [PMID: 31623883 PMCID: PMC6990377 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) cycling dynamics in cardiac myocytes are spatiotemporally generated by stochastic events arising from a spatially distributed network of coupled Ca2+ release units that interact with an intertwined mitochondrial network. In this study, we developed a spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte model that integrates mitochondria-related Ca2+ cycling components into our previously developed ventricular myocyte model consisting of a three-dimensional Ca2+ release unit network. Mathematical formulations of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling, mitochondrial permeability transition pore stochastic opening and closing, intracellular reactive oxygen species signaling, and oxidized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II signaling were incorporated into the model. We then used the model to simulate the effects of mitochondrial depolarization on mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling, Ca2+ spark frequency, and Ca2+ amplitude, which agree well with experimental data. We also simulated the effects of the strength of mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporters and their spatial localization on intracellular Ca2+ cycling properties, which substantially affected diastolic and systolic Ca2+ levels in the mitochondria but exhibited only a small effect on sarcoplasmic reticulum and cytosolic Ca2+ levels under normal conditions. We show that mitochondrial depolarization can cause Ca2+ waves and Ca2+ alternans, which agrees with previous experimental observations. We propose that this new, to our knowledge, spatiotemporal ventricular myocyte model, incorporating properties of mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling and reactive-oxygen-species-dependent signaling, will be useful for investigating the effects of mitochondria on intracellular Ca2+ cycling and action potential dynamics in ventricular myocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Lai-Hua Xie
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
| | - James N Weiss
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Biomathematics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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Souza DSD, Menezes-Filho JERD, Santos-Miranda A, Jesus ICGD, Silva Neto JA, Guatimosim S, Cruz JS, Vasconcelos CMLD. Calcium overload-induced arrhythmia is suppressed by farnesol in rat heart. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 859:172488. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Frequency and Phase Characteristics of Candle Flame Oscillation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:342. [PMID: 30674950 PMCID: PMC6344522 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36754-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The combustion of candles exhibits a variety of dynamical behaviors. Binding several candles together will result in flickering of candle flames, which is generally described as a nonlinear oscillator. The impact on the frequency of the flame by several factors, such as the arrangement, the number and the asymmetry of the oscillators, is discussed. Experimental results show that the frequency gradually decreases as the number of candles increases in the case of an isolated oscillator, while alternation between the in-phase and the anti-phase synchronization appears in a coupled system of two oscillators. Moreover, envelopes in the amplitude of the oscillatory luminance are displayed when candles are coupled asymmetrically. Since the coupling between oscillators is dominated by thermal radiation, a “overlapped peaks model” is proposed to phenomenologically explain the relationship between temperature distribution, coupling strength and the collective behavior in coupled system of candle oscillators in both symmetric and asymmetric cases.
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Ronchi C, Badone B, Bernardi J, Zaza A. Action Potential Prolongation, β-Adrenergic Stimulation, and Angiotensin II as Co-factors in Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Instability. Front Physiol 2019; 9:1893. [PMID: 30687114 PMCID: PMC6333690 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Increases in action potential duration (APD), genetic or acquired, and arrhythmias are often associated; nonetheless, the relationship between the two phenomena is inconstant, suggesting coexisting factors. β-adrenergic activation increases sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-content; angiotensin II (ATII) may increase cytosolic Ca2+ and ROS production, all actions stimulating RyRs opening. Here we test how APD interacts with β-adrenergic and AT-receptor stimulation in facilitating spontaneous Ca2+ release events (SCR). Methods: Under “action potential (AP) clamp”, guinea-pig cardiomyocytes (CMs) were driven with long (200 ms), normal (150 ms), and short (100 ms) AP waveforms at a CL of 500 ms; in a subset of CMs, all the 3 waveforms could be tested within the same cell. SCR were detected as inward current transients (ITI) following repolarization; ITI incidence and repetition within the same cycle were measured under increasing isoprenaline concentration ([ISO]) alone, or plus 100 nM ATII (30 min incubation+superfusion). Results: ITI incidence and repetition increased with [ISO]; at longer APs the [ISO]-response curve was shifted upward and ITI coupling interval was reduced. ATII increased ITI incidence more at low [ISO] and under normal (as compared to long) APs. Efficacy of AP shortening in suppressing ITI decreased in ATII-treated myocytes and at higher [ISO]. Conclusions: AP prolongation sensitized the SR to the destabilizing actions of ISO and ATII. Summation of ISO, ATII and AP duration effects had a “saturating” effect on SCR incidence, thus suggesting convergence on a common factor (RyRs stability) “reset” by the occurrence of spontaneous Ca2+ release events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Ronchi
- Laboratory of Cardiac Cellular Physiology, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Badone
- Laboratory of Cardiac Cellular Physiology, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Joyce Bernardi
- Laboratory of Cardiac Cellular Physiology, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Zaza
- Laboratory of Cardiac Cellular Physiology, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Marchena M, Echebarria B. Computational Model of Calcium Signaling in Cardiac Atrial Cells at the Submicron Scale. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1760. [PMID: 30618786 PMCID: PMC6295473 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In cardiac cells, calcium is the mediator of excitation-contraction coupling. Dysfunctions in calcium handling have been identified as the origin of some cardiac arrhythmias. In the particular case of atrial myocytes, recent available experimental data has found links between these dysfunctions and structural changes in the calcium handling machinery (ryanodine cluster size and distribution, t-tubular network, etc). To address this issue, we have developed a computational model of an atrial myocyte that takes into account the detailed intracellular structure. The homogenized macroscopic behavior is described with a two-concentration field model, using effective diffusion coefficients of calcium in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and in the cytoplasm. The model reproduces the right calcium transients and dependence with pacing frequency. Under basal conditions, the calcium rise is mostly restricted to the periphery of the cell, with a large concentration ratio between the periphery and the interior. We have then studied the dependence of the speed of the calcium wave on cytosolic and SR diffusion coefficients, finding an almost linear relation with the former, in agreement with a diffusive and fire mechanism of propagation, and little dependence on the latter. Finally, we have studied the effect of a change in RyR cluster microstructure. We find that, under resting conditions, the spark frequency decreases slightly with RyR cluster spatial dispersion, but markedly increases when the RyRs are distributed in clusters of larger size, stressing the importance of RyR cluster organization to understand atrial arrhythmias, as recent experimental results suggest (Macquaide et al., 2015).
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Marchena
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blas Echebarria
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
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Huang X, Song Z, Qu Z. Determinants of early afterdepolarization properties in ventricular myocyte models. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006382. [PMID: 30475801 PMCID: PMC6283611 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are spontaneous depolarizations during the repolarization phase of an action potential in cardiac myocytes. It is widely known that EADs are promoted by increasing inward currents and/or decreasing outward currents, a condition called reduced repolarization reserve. Recent studies based on bifurcation theories show that EADs are caused by a dual Hopf-homoclinic bifurcation, bringing in further mechanistic insights into the genesis and dynamics of EADs. In this study, we investigated the EAD properties, such as the EAD amplitude, the inter-EAD interval, and the latency of the first EAD, and their major determinants. We first made predictions based on the bifurcation theory and then validated them in physiologically more detailed action potential models. These properties were investigated by varying one parameter at a time or using parameter sets randomly drawn from assigned intervals. The theoretical and simulation results were compared with experimental data from the literature. Our major findings are that the EAD amplitude and takeoff potential exhibit a negative linear correlation; the inter-EAD interval is insensitive to the maximum ionic current conductance but mainly determined by the kinetics of ICa,L and the dual Hopf-homoclinic bifurcation; and both inter-EAD interval and latency vary largely from model to model. Most of the model results generally agree with experimental observations in isolated ventricular myocytes. However, a major discrepancy between modeling results and experimental observations is that the inter-EAD intervals observed in experiments are mainly between 200 and 500 ms, irrespective of species, while those of the mathematical models exhibit a much wider range with some models exhibiting inter-EAD intervals less than 100 ms. Our simulations show that the cause of this discrepancy is likely due to the difference in ICa,L recovery properties in different mathematical models, which needs to be addressed in future action potential model development. Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are abnormal depolarizations during the plateau phase of action potential in cardiac myocytes, arising from a dual Hopf-homoclinic bifurcation. The same bifurcations are also responsible for certain types of bursting behaviors in other cell types, such as beta cells and neuronal cells. EADs are known to play important role in the genesis of lethal arrhythmias and have been widely studied in both experiments and computer models. However, a detailed comparison between the properties of EADs observed in experiments and those from mathematical models have not been carried out. In this study, we performed theoretical analyses and computer simulations of different ventricular action potential models as well as different species to investigate the properties of EADs and compared these properties to those observed in experiments. While the EAD properties in the action potential models capture many of the EAD properties seen in experiments, the inter-EAD intervals in the computer models differ a lot from model to model, and some of them show very large discrepancy with those observed in experiments. This discrepancy needs to be addressed in future cardiac action potential model development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomathematics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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42
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Zhang JC, Wu HL, Chen Q, Xie XT, Zou T, Zhu C, Dong Y, Xiang GJ, Ye L, Li Y, Zhu PL. Calcium-Mediated Oscillation in Membrane Potentials and Atrial-Triggered Activity in Atrial Cells of Casq2 R33Q/R33Q Mutation Mice. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1447. [PMID: 30450052 PMCID: PMC6224359 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We investigated the underlying mechanisms in atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with R33Q mutation and Ca2+-triggered activity. Methods and Results: We examined AF susceptibility with intraesophageal burst pacing in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ leak model calsequestrin 2 R33Q (Casq2R33Q/R33Q) mice. Atrial trigger appeared in R33Q mice but not WT mice (17.24%, 5/29 vs. 0.00%, 0/32, P < 0.05). AF was induced by 25 Hz pacing in R33Q mice (48.27%, 14/29 vs. 6.25%, 2/32, P < 0.01). The mice were given 1.5 mg/kg isoproterenol (Iso), and the incidences of AF increased (65.51%, 19/29 vs. 9.21%, 3/32, P < 0.01). Electrophysiology experiments and the recording of intracellular Ca2+ indicated significant increases in the Ca2+ sparks (5.24 ± 0.75 100 μM-1.s-1 vs. 0.29 ± 0.04 100 μM-1.s-1, n = 20, P < 0.05), intracellular free Ca2+ (0.238 ± 0.009 μM vs. 0.172 ± 0.006 μM, n = 20, P < 0.05), Ca2+ wave (11.74% vs. 2.24%, n = 20, P < 0.05), transient inward current (ITi) (-0.56 ± 0.02 pA/pF vs. -0.42 ± 0.01 pA/pF, n = 10, P < 0.05), and oscillation in membrane potentials (10.71%, 3/28 vs. 4.16%, 1/24, P < 0.05) in the R33Q group, but there was no significant difference in the L-type calcium current. These effects were enhanced by Iso, and the inhibition of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) by 1 μM KN93 reversed the effects of Iso on Ca2+ sparks (5.01 ± 0.66 100 μm-1.s-1 vs. 11.33 ± 1.63 100 μm-1.s-1, P < 0.05), intracellular Ca2+ (0.245 ± 0.005 μM vs. 0.324 ± 0.008 μM, P < 0.05), Ca2+ wave (12.35% vs. 17.83%, P < 0.05), ITi (-0.61 ± 0.02 pA/pF vs. -0.78 ± 0.03 pA/pF, n = 10, P < 0.05), and oscillation in membrane potential (17.85% 5/28 vs. 32.17% 9/28, P < 0.05). The reduction of ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) stable subunits (Casq2, triadin, and junctin) rather than RYR2 and the increase in CaMKII, phosphor-CaMKII, phosphor-RyR2 (Ser 2814), SERCA, and NCX1.1 was reflected in the R33Q group. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the increase in spontaneous calcium elevations corresponding to ITi that may trigger the oscillation in membrane potentials in the R33Q group, thereby increasing the risk of AF. The occurrence of spontaneous calcium elevations in R33Q atrial myocytes is due to the dysfunction of RyR2 stable subunits, CaMKII hyperactivity, and CaMKII-mediated RyR phosphorylation. An effective therapeutic strategy to intervene in Ca2+-induced AF associated with the R33Q mutation may be through CaMKII inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Cheng Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hong-Lin Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine Division Four, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ting Xie
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Tian Zou
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chao Zhu
- Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Dong
- Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Jian Xiang
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lei Ye
- National Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Peng-Li Zhu
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Fujian Provincial Center for Geriatrics, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical Medicine College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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Cheniti G, Vlachos K, Meo M, Puyo S, Thompson N, Denis A, Duchateau J, Takigawa M, Martin C, Frontera A, Kitamura T, Lam A, Bourier F, Klotz N, Derval N, Sacher F, Jais P, Dubois R, Hocini M, Haissaguerre M. Mapping and Ablation of Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2018; 5:123. [PMID: 30280100 PMCID: PMC6153961 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) is the main cause of unexplained sudden cardiac death, particularly in young patients under the age of 35. IVF is a diagnosis of exclusion in patients who have survived a VF episode without any identifiable structural or metabolic causes despite extensive diagnostic testing. Genetic testing allows identification of a likely causative mutation in up to 27% of unexplained sudden deaths in children and young adults. In the majority of cases, VF is triggered by PVCs that originate from the Purkinje network. Ablation of VF triggers in this setting is associated with high rates of acute success and long-term freedom from VF recurrence. Recent studies demonstrate that a significant subset of IVF defined by negative comprehensive investigations, demonstrate in fact subclinical structural alterations. These localized myocardial alterations are identified by high density electrogram mapping, are of small size and are mainly located in the epicardium. As reentrant VF drivers are often colocated with regions of abnormal electrograms, this localized substrate can be shown to be mechanistically linked with VF. Such areas may represent an important target for ablation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghassen Cheniti
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Cardiology, Sahloul Hospital, Universite de Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Konstantinos Vlachos
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marianna Meo
- IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Stephane Puyo
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nathaniel Thompson
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Arnaud Denis
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Josselin Duchateau
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Masateru Takigawa
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Claire Martin
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Cardiology, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Frontera
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Takeshi Kitamura
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anna Lam
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Felix Bourier
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas Klotz
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas Derval
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Frederic Sacher
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pierre Jais
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Remi Dubois
- IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Meleze Hocini
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
| | - Michel Haissaguerre
- Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac, France.,IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Foundation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
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44
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Xie A, Song Z, Liu H, Zhou A, Shi G, Wang Q, Gu L, Liu M, Xie LH, Qu Z, Dudley SC. Mitochondrial Ca 2+ Influx Contributes to Arrhythmic Risk in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy. J Am Heart Assoc 2018; 7:JAHA.117.007805. [PMID: 29627768 PMCID: PMC6015427 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.117.007805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Heart failure (HF) is associated with increased arrhythmia risk and triggered activity. Abnormal Ca2+ handling is thought to underlie triggered activity, and mitochondria participate in Ca2+ homeostasis. Methods and Results A model of nonischemic HF was induced in C57BL/6 mice by hypertension. Computer simulations were performed using a mouse ventricular myocyte model of HF. Isoproterenol‐induced premature ventricular contractions and ventricular fibrillation were more prevalent in nonischemic HF mice than sham controls. Isolated myopathic myocytes showed decreased cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients, increased mitochondrial Ca2+ transients, and increased action potential duration at 90% repolarization. The alteration of action potential duration at 90% repolarization was consistent with in vivo corrected QT prolongation and could be explained by augmented L‐type Ca2+ currents, increased Na+‐Ca2+ exchange currents, and decreased total K+ currents. Of myopathic ventricular myocytes, 66% showed early afterdepolarizations (EADs) compared with 17% of sham myocytes (P<0.05). Intracellular application of 1 μmol/L Ru360, a mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter–specific antagonist, could reduce mitochondrial Ca2+ transients, decrease action potential duration at 90% repolarization, and ameliorate EADs. Furthermore, genetic knockdown of mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporters inhibited mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, reduced Na+‐Ca2+ exchange currents, decreased action potential duration at 90% repolarization, suppressed EADs, and reduced ventricular fibrillation in nonischemic HF mice. Computer simulations showed that EADs promoted by HF remodeling could be abolished by blocking either the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter or the L‐type Ca2+ current, consistent with the experimental observations. Conclusions Mitochondrial Ca2+ handling plays an important role in EADs seen with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and may represent a therapeutic target to reduce arrhythmic risk in this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Xie
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Anyu Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Guangbin Shi
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Qiongying Wang
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Lianzhi Gu
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Man Liu
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Lai-Hua Xie
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, New Jersey Medical School Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Samuel C Dudley
- Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
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45
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Prajapati C, Ojala M, Aalto-Setälä K. Divergent effects of adrenaline in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes obtained from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.032896. [PMID: 29361520 PMCID: PMC5894949 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.032896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited cardiac disease that affects the heart muscle with diverse clinical outcomes. HCM can cause sudden cardiac death (SCD) during or immediately after mild to rigorous physical activity in young patients. However, the mechanism causing SCD as a result of exercise remains unknown, but exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias are thought to be responsible for this fatal consequence. To understand the disease mechanism behind HCM in a better way, we generated patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) from HCM patients carrying either the MYBPC3-Gln1061X or TPM1-Asp175Asn mutation. We extensively investigated the effects of low to high concentrations of adrenaline on action potential characteristics, and the occurrence of arrhythmias in the presence of various concentrations of adrenaline and in wash-out condition. We classified and quantified different types of arrhythmias observed in hiPSC-CMs, and found that the occurrence of arrhythmias was dependent on concentrations of adrenaline and positions of mutations in genes causing HCM. In addition, we observed ventricular tachycardia types of arrhythmias in hiPSC-CMs carrying the TPM1-Asp175Asn mutation. We additionally examined the antiarrhythmic potency of bisoprolol in HCM-specific hiPSC-CMs. However, bisoprolol could not reduce the occurrence of arrhythmias during administration or during the wash-out condition of adrenaline in HCM-specific hiPSC-CMs. Our study demonstrates hiPSC-CMs as a promising tool for studying HCM. The experimental design used in this study could be suitable and beneficial for studying other components and drugs related to cardiac disease in general. Summary: Different concentrations of adrenaline have divergent effects during and immediately after administration in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) obtained from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. Bisoprolol could not reduce the arrhythmias in HCM-specific hiPSC-CMs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marisa Ojala
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Katriina Aalto-Setälä
- BioMediTech, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland .,Faculty of Medicine and Life Science, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland.,Heart Hospital, Tampere University Hospital, 33521 Tampere, Finland
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46
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47
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Song Z, Liu MB, Qu Z. Transverse tubular network structures in the genesis of intracellular calcium alternans and triggered activity in cardiac cells. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2018; 114:288-299. [PMID: 29217432 PMCID: PMC5801147 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The major role of a transverse-tubular (TT) network in a cardiac cell is to facilitate effective excitation-contraction coupling and signaling. The TT network structures are heterogeneous within a single cell, and vary between different types of cells and species. They are also remodeled in cardiac diseases. However, how different TT network structures predispose cardiac cells to arrhythmogenesis remains to be revealed. OBJECTIVE To systematically investigate the roles of TT network structure and the underlying mechanisms in the genesis of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) alternans and triggered activity (TA). METHODS AND RESULTS Based on recent experimental observations, different TT network structures, including uniformly and non-uniformly random TT distributions, were modeled in a cardiac cell model consisting of a three-dimensional network of Ca2+ release units (CRUs). Our simulations showed that both Ca2+ alternans and Ca2+ wave-mediated TA were promoted when the fraction of orphaned CRUs was in an intermediate range, but suppressed in cells exhibiting either well-organized TT networks or low TT densities. Ca2+ alternans and TA could be promoted by low TT densities when the cells were small or the CRU coupling was strong. Both alternans and TA occurred more easily in uniformly random TT networks than in non-uniformly random TT networks. Subcellular spatially discordant Ca2+ alternans was promoted by non-uniformly random TT networks but suppressed by increasing CRU coupling strength. These mechanistic insights provide a holistic understanding of the effects of TT network structure on the susceptibility to arrhythmogenesis. CONCLUSIONS The TT network plays important roles in promoting Ca2+ alternans and TA, and different TT network structures may predispose cardiac cells differently to arrhythmogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Michael B Liu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Biomathematics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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48
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Pezhouman A, Cao H, Fishbein MC, Belardinelli L, Weiss JN, Karagueuzian HS. Atrial Fibrillation Initiated by Early Afterdepolarization-Mediated Triggered Activity during Acute Oxidative Stress: Efficacy of Late Sodium Current Blockade. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 4. [PMID: 30393761 PMCID: PMC6214459 DOI: 10.16966/2379-769x.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Background The mechanism of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) that emerges spontaneously during acute oxidative stress is poorly defined and its drug therapy remains suboptimal. We hypothesized that oxidative activation of Ca-calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) promotes Early Afterdepolarization-(EAD)-mediated triggered AF in aged fibrotic atria that is sensitive to late Na current (INa-L) blockade. Method and Results High-resolution voltage optical mapping of the Left and Right Atrial (LA & RA) epicardial surfaces along with microelectrode recordings were performed in isolated-perfused male Fisher 344 rat hearts in Langendorff setting. Aged atria (23-24 months) manifested 10-fold increase in atrial tissue fibrosis compared to young/adult (2-4 months) atria (P<0001. Spontaneous AF arose in 39 out of 41 of the aged atria but in 0 out of 12 young/adult hearts (P<001) during arterial perfusion of with 0.1 mm of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Optical Action Potential (AP) activation maps showed that the AF was initiated by a focal mechanism in the LA suggestive of EAD-mediated triggered activity. Cellular AP recordings with glass microelectrodes from the LA epicardial sites showing focal activity confirmed optical AP recordings that the spontaneous AF was initiated by late phase 3 EAD-mediated triggered activity. Inhibition of CaMKII activity with KN-93 (1 μM) (N=6) or its downstream target, the enhanced INa-L with GS-967 (1 μM), a specific blocker of INa-L (N=6), potently suppressed the AF and prevented its initiation when perfused 15 min prior to H2O2 (n=6). Conclusions Increased atrial tissue fibrosis combined with acute oxidative activation of CaMK II Initiate AF by EAD-mediated triggered activity. Specific block of the INa-L with GS-967 effectively suppresses the AF. Drug therapy of oxidative AF in humans with traditional antiarrhythmic drugs remains suboptimal; suppressing INa-L offers a potential new strategy for effective suppression of oxidative human AF that remains suboptimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Pezhouman
- Translational Arrhythmia Section, UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, USA
| | - Hong Cao
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PRC
| | | | | | - James N Weiss
- Translational Arrhythmia Section, UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, USA.,Departments of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hrayr S Karagueuzian
- Translational Arrhythmia Section, UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, USA.,Departments of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Krogh-Madsen T, Christini DJ. Slow [Na +] i dynamics impacts arrhythmogenesis and spiral wave reentry in cardiac myocyte ionic model. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2017; 27:093907. [PMID: 28964146 DOI: 10.1063/1.4999475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of intracellular Na+ is gaining recognition as an important regulator of cardiac myocyte electrophysiology. The intracellular Na+ concentration can be an important determinant of the cardiac action potential duration, can modulate the tissue-level conduction of excitation waves, and can alter vulnerability to arrhythmias. Mathematical models of cardiac electrophysiology often incorporate a dynamic intracellular Na+ concentration, which changes much more slowly than the remaining variables. We investigated the dependence of several arrhythmogenesis-related factors on [Na+]i in a mathematical model of the human atrial action potential. In cell simulations, we found that [Na+]i accumulation stabilizes the action potential duration to variations in several conductances and that the slow dynamics of [Na+]i impacts bifurcations to pro-arrhythmic afterdepolarizations, causing intermittency between different rhythms. In long-lasting tissue simulations of spiral wave reentry, [Na+]i becomes spatially heterogeneous with a decreased area around the spiral wave rotation center. This heterogeneous region forms a functional anchor, resulting in diminished meandering of the spiral wave. Our findings suggest that slow, physiological, rate-dependent variations in [Na+]i may play complex roles in cellular and tissue-level cardiac dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine Krogh-Madsen
- Greenberg Division of Cardiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA; Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA; and Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - David J Christini
- Greenberg Division of Cardiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA; Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA; and Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10065, USA
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50
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Wilson D, Ermentrout B, Němec J, Salama G. A model of cardiac ryanodine receptor gating predicts experimental Ca 2+-dynamics and Ca 2+-triggered arrhythmia in the long QT syndrome. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2017; 27:093940. [PMID: 28964110 DOI: 10.1063/1.5000711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal Ca2+ handling is well-established as the trigger of cardiac arrhythmia in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and digoxin toxicity, but its role remains controversial in Torsade de Pointes (TdP), the arrhythmia associated with the long QT syndrome (LQTS). Recent experimental results show that early afterdepolarizations (EADs) that initiate TdP are caused by spontaneous (non-voltage-triggered) Ca2+ release from Ca2+-overloaded sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) rather than the activation of the L-type Ca2+-channel window current. In bradycardia and long QT type 2 (LQT2), a second, non-voltage triggered cytosolic Ca2+ elevation increases gradually in amplitude, occurs before overt voltage instability, and then precedes the rise of EADs. Here, we used a modified Shannon-Puglisi-Bers model of rabbit ventricular myocytes to reproduce experimental Ca2+ dynamics in bradycardia and LQT2. Abnormal systolic Ca2+-oscillations and EADs caused by SR Ca2+-release are reproduced in a modified 0-dimensional model, where 3 gates in series control the ryanodine receptor (RyR2) conductance. Two gates control RyR2 activation and inactivation and sense cytosolic Ca2+ while a third gate senses luminal junctional SR Ca2+. The model predicts EADs in bradycardia and low extracellular [K+] and cessation of SR Ca2+-release terminate salvos of EADs. Ca2+-waves, systolic cell-synchronous Ca2+-release, and multifocal diastolic Ca2+ release seen in subcellular Ca2+-mapping experiments are observed in the 2-dimensional version of the model. These results support the role of SR Ca2+-overload, abnormal SR Ca2+-release, and the subsequent activation of the electrogenic Na+/Ca2+-exchanger as the mechanism of TdP. The model offers new insights into the genesis of cardiac arrhythmia and new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wilson
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Jan Němec
- Department of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Guy Salama
- Department of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
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