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Choi BR, Ziv O, Salama G. Conduction delays across the specialized conduction system of the heart: Revisiting atrioventricular node (AVN) and Purkinje-ventricular junction (PVJ) delays. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1158480. [PMID: 37153461 PMCID: PMC10154624 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1158480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and significance The specialized conduction system (SCS) of the heart was extensively studied to understand the synchronization of atrial and ventricular contractions, the large atrial to His bundle (A-H) delay through the atrioventricular node (AVN), and delays between Purkinje (P) and ventricular (V) depolarization at distinct junctions (J), PVJs. Here, we use optical mapping of perfused rabbit hearts to revisit the mechanism that explains A-H delay and the role of a passive electrotonic step-delay at the boundary between atria and the AVN. We further visualize how the P anatomy controls papillary activation and valve closure before ventricular activation. Methods Rabbit hearts were perfused with a bolus (100-200 µl) of a voltage-sensitive dye (di4ANEPPS), blebbistatin (10-20 µM for 20 min) then the right atrial appendage and ventricular free-wall were cut to expose the AVN, P fibers (PFs), the septum, papillary muscles, and the endocardium. Fluorescence images were focused on a CMOS camera (SciMedia) captured at 1K-5 K frames/s from 100 × 100 pixels. Results AP propagation across the AVN-His (A-H) exhibits distinct patterns of delay and conduction blocks during S1-S2 stimulation. Refractory periods were 81 ± 9, 90 ± 21, 185 ± 15 ms for Atrial, AVN, and His, respectively. A large delay (>40 ms) occurs between atrial and AVN activation that increased during rapid atrial pacing contributing to the development of Wenckebach periodicity followed by delays within the AVN through slow or blocked conduction. The temporal resolution of the camera allowed us to identify PVJs by detecting doublets of AP upstrokes. PVJ delays were heterogeneous, fastest in PVJ that immediately trigger ventricular APs (3.4 ± 0.8 ms) and slow in regions where PF appear insulated from the neighboring ventricular myocytes (7.8 ± 2.4 ms). Insulated PF along papillary muscles conducted APs (>2 m/s), then triggered papillary muscle APs (<1 m/s), followed by APs firing of septum and endocardium. The anatomy of PFs and PVJs produced activation patterns that control the sequence of contractions ensuring that papillary contractions close the tricuspid valve 2-5 ms before right ventricular contractions. Conclusions The specialized conduction system can be accessed optically to investigate the electrical properties of the AVN, PVJ and activation patterns in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bum-Rak Choi
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Ohad Ziv
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Guy Salama
- Department of Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Correspondence: Guy Salama
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2
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Crotti L, Odening KE, Sanguinetti MC. Heritable arrhythmias associated with abnormal function of cardiac potassium channels. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 116:1542-1556. [PMID: 32227190 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes express a surprisingly large number of potassium channel types. The primary physiological functions of the currents conducted by these channels are to maintain the resting membrane potential and mediate action potential repolarization under basal conditions and in response to changes in the concentrations of intracellular sodium, calcium, and ATP/ADP. Here, we review the diversity and functional roles of cardiac potassium channels under normal conditions and how heritable mutations in the genes encoding these channels can lead to distinct arrhythmias. We briefly review atrial fibrillation and J-wave syndromes. For long and short QT syndromes, we describe their genetic basis, clinical manifestation, risk stratification, traditional and novel therapeutic approaches, as well as insights into disease mechanisms provided by animal and cellular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Crotti
- Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias of Genetic Origin, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, San Luca Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Katja E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Cardiology, Translational Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael C Sanguinetti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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3
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Ellermann C, Wolfes J, Eckardt L, Frommeyer G. Role of the rabbit whole-heart model for electrophysiologic safety pharmacology of non-cardiovascular drugs. Europace 2021; 23:828-836. [PMID: 33200170 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euaa288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plenty of non-cardiovascular drugs alter cardiac electrophysiology and may ultimately lead to life-threatening arrhythmias. In clinical practice, measuring the QT interval as a marker for the repolarization period is the most common tool to assess the electrophysiologic safety of drugs. However, the sole measurement of the QT interval may be insufficient to determine the proarrhythmic risk of non-cardiovascular agents. Several other markers are considered in pre-clinical safety testing to determine potential harm on cardiac electrophysiology. Besides measuring typical electrophysiologic parameters such as repolarization duration, whole-heart models allow the determination of potential predictors for proarrhythmia. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity as well as changes of shape of the action potential can be easily assessed. In addition, provocation manoeuvers (either by electrolyte imbalances or programmed pacing protocols) may induce sustained arrhythmias and thereby determine ventricular vulnerability to arrhythmias. Compared with the human heart, the rabbit heart possesses a similar distribution of ion currents that govern cardiac repolarization, resulting in a rectangular action potential configuration in both species. In addition, similar biophysical properties of rabbit and human cardiac ion channels lead to a comparable pharmacologic response in human and rabbit hearts. Of note, arrhythmia patterns resemble in both species due to the similar effective size of human and rabbit hearts. Thus, the rabbit heart is particularly suitable for testing the electrophysiologic safety of drugs. Several experimental setups have been developed for studying cardiac electrophysiology in rabbits, ranging from single cell to tissue preparations, whole-heart setups, and in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ellermann
- Department of Cardiology II (Electrophysiology), University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Münster D-48149, Germany
| | - Julian Wolfes
- Department of Cardiology II (Electrophysiology), University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Münster D-48149, Germany
| | - Lars Eckardt
- Department of Cardiology II (Electrophysiology), University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Münster D-48149, Germany
| | - Gerrit Frommeyer
- Department of Cardiology II (Electrophysiology), University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Münster D-48149, Germany
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4
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Odening KE, Gomez AM, Dobrev D, Fabritz L, Heinzel FR, Mangoni ME, Molina CE, Sacconi L, Smith G, Stengl M, Thomas D, Zaza A, Remme CA, Heijman J. ESC working group on cardiac cellular electrophysiology position paper: relevance, opportunities, and limitations of experimental models for cardiac electrophysiology research. Europace 2021; 23:1795-1814. [PMID: 34313298 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euab142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of death and disability. A large number of experimental cell and animal models have been developed to study arrhythmogenic diseases. These models have provided important insights into the underlying arrhythmia mechanisms and translational options for their therapeutic management. This position paper from the ESC Working Group on Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology provides an overview of (i) currently available in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo electrophysiological research methodologies, (ii) the most commonly used experimental (cellular and animal) models for cardiac arrhythmias including relevant species differences, (iii) the use of human cardiac tissue, induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived and in silico models to study cardiac arrhythmias, and (iv) the availability, relevance, limitations, and opportunities of these cellular and animal models to recapitulate specific acquired and inherited arrhythmogenic diseases, including atrial fibrillation, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, sinus node, and conduction disorders and channelopathies. By promoting a better understanding of these models and their limitations, this position paper aims to improve the quality of basic research in cardiac electrophysiology, with the ultimate goal to facilitate the clinical translation and application of basic electrophysiological research findings on arrhythmia mechanisms and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja E Odening
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ana-Maria Gomez
- Signaling and cardiovascular pathophysiology-UMR-S 1180, Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Dobromir Dobrev
- Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Larissa Fabritz
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Frank R Heinzel
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matteo E Mangoni
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Cristina E Molina
- Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site, Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Germany
| | - Leonardo Sacconi
- National Institute of Optics and European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy, Italy.,Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Freiburg, Germany
| | - Godfrey Smith
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Milan Stengl
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Dierk Thomas
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Center for Heart Rhythm Disorders (HCR), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site, Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antonio Zaza
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Carol Ann Remme
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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5
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Hornyik T, Rieder M, Castiglione A, Major P, Baczko I, Brunner M, Koren G, Odening KE. Transgenic rabbit models for cardiac disease research. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:938-957. [PMID: 33822374 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15484] [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: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the pathophysiology of human cardiac diseases and to develop novel treatment strategies, complex interactions of cardiac cells on cellular, tissue and on level of the whole heart need to be considered. As in vitro cell-based models do not depict the complexity of the human heart, animal models are used to obtain insights that can be translated to human diseases. Mice are the most commonly used animals in cardiac research. However, differences in electrophysiological and mechanical cardiac function and a different composition of electrical and contractile proteins limit the transferability of the knowledge gained. Moreover, the small heart size and fast heart rate are major disadvantages. In contrast to rodents, electrophysiological, mechanical and structural cardiac characteristics of rabbits resemble the human heart more closely, making them particularly suitable as an animal model for cardiac disease research. In this review, various methodological approaches for the generation of transgenic rabbits for cardiac disease research, such as pronuclear microinjection, the sleeping beauty transposon system and novel genome-editing methods (ZFN and CRISPR/Cas9)will be discussed. In the second section, we will introduce the different currently available transgenic rabbit models for monogenic cardiac diseases (such as long QT syndrome, short-QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) in detail, especially in regard to their utility to increase the understanding of pathophysiological disease mechanisms and novel treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Hornyik
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, University Heart Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marina Rieder
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Castiglione
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Major
- Institute for Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Istvan Baczko
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Michael Brunner
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, University Heart Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Cardiology and Medical Intensive Care, St. Josefskrankenhaus, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Katja E Odening
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, University Heart Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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6
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Functional evaluation of gene mutations in Long QT Syndrome: strength of evidence from in vitro assays for deciphering variants of uncertain significance. JOURNAL OF CONGENITAL CARDIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1186/s40949-020-00037-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Genetic screening is now commonplace for patients suspected of having inherited cardiac conditions. Variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in disease-associated genes pose problems for the diagnostician and reliable methods for evaluating VUS function are required. Although function is difficult to interrogate for some genes, heritable channelopathies have established mechanisms that should be amenable to well-validated evaluation techniques.
The cellular electrophysiology techniques of ‘voltage-’ and ‘patch-’ clamp have a long history of successful use and have been central to identifying both the roles of genes involved in different forms of congenital Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) and the mechanisms by which mutations lead to aberrant ion channel function underlying clinical phenotypes. This is particularly evident for KCNQ1, KCNH2 and SCN5A, mutations in which underlie > 90% of genotyped LQTS cases (the LQT1-LQT3 subtypes). Recent studies utilizing high throughput (HT) planar patch-clamp recording have shown it to discriminate effectively between rare benign and pathological variants, studied through heterologous expression of recombinant channels. In combination with biochemical methods for evaluating channel trafficking and supported by biophysical modelling, patch clamp also provides detailed mechanistic insight into the functional consequences of identified mutations. Whilst potentially powerful, patient-specific stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes and genetically modified animal models are currently not well-suited to high throughput VUS study.
Conclusion
The widely adopted 2015 American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants include the PS3 criterion for consideration of evidence from well-established in vitro or in vivo assays. The wealth of information on underlying mechanisms of LQT1-LQT3 and recent HT patch clamp data support consideration of patch clamp data together (for LQT1 and LQT2) with information from biochemical trafficking assays as meeting the PS3 criterion of well established assays, able to provide ‘strong’ evidence for functional pathogenicity of identified VUS.
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7
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Hwang J, Kim TY, Terentyev D, Zhong M, Kabakov AY, Bronk P, Arunachalam K, Belardinelli L, Rajamani S, Kunitomo Y, Pfeiffer Z, Lu Y, Peng X, Odening KE, Qu Z, Karma A, Koren G, Choi BR. Late I Na Blocker GS967 Supresses Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in a Transgenic Rabbit Model of Long QT Type 2. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2020; 13:e006875. [PMID: 32628505 PMCID: PMC10626560 DOI: 10.1161/circep.118.006875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long QT syndrome has been associated with sudden cardiac death likely caused by early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and polymorphic ventricular tachycardias (PVTs). Suppressing the late sodium current (INaL) may counterbalance the reduced repolarization reserve in long QT syndrome and prevent EADs and PVTs. METHODS We tested the effects of the selective INaL blocker GS967 on PVT induction in a transgenic rabbit model of long QT syndrome type 2 using intact heart optical mapping, cellular electrophysiology and confocal Ca2+ imaging, and computer modeling. RESULTS GS967 reduced ventricular fibrillation induction under a rapid pacing protocol (n=7/14 hearts in control versus 1/14 hearts at 100 nmol/L) without altering action potential duration or restitution and dispersion. GS967 suppressed PVT incidences by reducing Ca2+-mediated EADs and focal activity during isoproterenol perfusion (at 30 nmol/L, n=7/12 and 100 nmol/L n=8/12 hearts without EADs and PVTs). Confocal Ca2+ imaging of long QT syndrome type 2 myocytes revealed that GS967 shortened Ca2+ transient duration via accelerating Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (INCX)-mediated Ca2+ efflux from cytosol, thereby reducing EADs. Computer modeling revealed that INaL potentiates EADs in the long QT syndrome type 2 setting through (1) providing additional depolarizing currents during action potential plateau phase, (2) increasing intracellular Na+ (Nai) that decreases the depolarizing INCX thereby suppressing the action potential plateau and delaying the activation of slowly activating delayed rectifier K+ channels (IKs), suggesting important roles of INaL in regulating Nai. CONCLUSIONS Selective INaL blockade by GS967 prevents EADs and abolishes PVT in long QT syndrome type 2 rabbits by counterbalancing the reduced repolarization reserve and normalizing Nai. Graphic Abstract: A graphic abstract is available for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungmin Hwang
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
- College of Pharmacy, Univ of Rhode Island, Kingstown, RI
| | - Tae Yun Kim
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Dmitry Terentyev
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | | | - Anatoli Y. Kabakov
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Peter Bronk
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Karuppiah Arunachalam
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | | | - Sridharan Rajamani
- Former employee: Dept of Biology, Gilead Science, Foster City, CA
- Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Yukiko Kunitomo
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Zachary Pfeiffer
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Yichun Lu
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Xuwen Peng
- Dept of Comparative Medicine, Pennsylvania State Univ College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
| | - Katja E. Odening
- Dept of Cardiology & Angiology I, Heart Ctr, Univ of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Dept of Medicine, Univ of California, Los Angeles
| | - Alain Karma
- Dept of Physics, Northeastern Univ, Boston, MA
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
| | - Bum-Rak Choi
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown Univ, Providence
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Hornyik T, Castiglione A, Franke G, Perez-Feliz S, Major P, Hiripi L, Koren G, Bősze Z, Varró A, Zehender M, Brunner M, Bode C, Baczkó I, Odening KE. Transgenic LQT2, LQT5, and LQT2-5 rabbit models with decreased repolarisation reserve for prediction of drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:3744-3759. [PMID: 32436214 PMCID: PMC7393202 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose Reliable prediction of pro‐arrhythmic side effects of novel drug candidates is still a major challenge. Although drug‐induced pro‐arrhythmia occurs primarily in patients with pre‐existing repolarisation disturbances, healthy animals are employed for pro‐arrhythmia testing. To improve current safety screening, transgenic long QT (LQTS) rabbit models with impaired repolarisation reserve were generated by overexpressing loss‐of‐function mutations of human HERG (HERG‐G628S, loss of IKr; LQT2), KCNE1 (KCNE1‐G52R, decreased IKs; LQT5), or both transgenes (LQT2‐5) in the heart. Experimental Approach Effects of K+ channel blockers on cardiac repolarisation and arrhythmia susceptibility were assessed in healthy wild‐type (WT) and LQTS rabbits using in vivo ECG and ex vivo monophasic action potential and ECG recordings in Langendorff‐perfused hearts. Key Results LQTS models reflect patients with clinically “silent” (LQT5) or “manifest” (LQT2 and LQT2‐5) impairment in cardiac repolarisation reserve: they were more sensitive in detecting IKr‐blocking (LQT5) or IK1/IKs‐blocking (LQT2 and LQT2‐5) properties of drugs compared to healthy WT animals. Impaired QT‐shortening capacity at fast heart rates was observed due to disturbed IKs function in LQT5 and LQT2‐5. Importantly, LQTS models exhibited higher incidence, longer duration, and more malignant types of ex vivo arrhythmias than WT. Conclusion and Implications LQTS models represent patients with reduced repolarisation reserve due to different pathomechanisms. As they demonstrate increased sensitivity to different specific ion channel blockers (IKr blockade in LQT5 and IK1 and IKs blockade in LQT2 and LQT2‐5), their combined use could provide more reliable and more thorough prediction of (multichannel‐based) pro‐arrhythmic potential of novel drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Hornyik
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Alessandro Castiglione
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gerlind Franke
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Perez-Feliz
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Péter Major
- NARIC-Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Animal Biotechnology Department, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - László Hiripi
- NARIC-Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Animal Biotechnology Department, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Zsuzsanna Bősze
- NARIC-Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Animal Biotechnology Department, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - András Varró
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Manfred Zehender
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Brunner
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Cardiology and Medical Intensive Care, St. Josefskrankenhaus, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Bode
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany
| | - István Baczkó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Katja E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, Freiburg, Germany.,Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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9
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Baczkó I, Hornyik T, Brunner M, Koren G, Odening KE. Transgenic Rabbit Models in Proarrhythmia Research. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:853. [PMID: 32581808 PMCID: PMC7291951 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced proarrhythmia constitutes a potentially lethal side effect of various drugs. Most often, this proarrhythmia is mechanistically linked to the drug's potential to interact with repolarizing cardiac ion channels causing a prolongation of the QT interval in the ECG. Despite sophisticated screening approaches during drug development, reliable prediction of proarrhythmia remains very challenging. Although drug-induced long-QT-related proarrhythmia is often favored by conditions or diseases that impair the individual's repolarization reserve, most cellular, tissue, and whole animal model systems used for drug safety screening are based on normal, healthy models. In recent years, several transgenic rabbit models for different types of long QT syndromes (LQTS) with differences in the extent of impairment in repolarization reserve have been generated. These might be useful for screening/prediction of a drug's potential for long-QT-related proarrhythmia, particularly as different repolarizing cardiac ion channels are impaired in the different models. In this review, we summarize the electrophysiological characteristics of the available transgenic LQTS rabbit models, and the pharmacological proof-of-principle studies that have been performed with these models—highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of LQTS models for proarrhythmia research. In the end, we give an outlook on potential future directions and novel models.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Baczkó
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hornyik
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Brunner
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Cardiology and Medical Intensive Care, St. Josefskrankenhaus, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Katja E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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10
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Ziupa D, Menza M, Koppermann S, Moss R, Beck J, Franke G, Perez Feliz S, Brunner M, Mayer S, Bugger H, Koren G, Zehender M, Jung BA, Seemann G, Foell D, Bode C, Odening KE. Electro-mechanical (dys-)function in long QT syndrome type 1. Int J Cardiol 2019; 274:144-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2018.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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11
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Dressler FF, Brado J, Odening KE. Electromechanical heterogeneity in the heart : A key to long QT syndrome? Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol 2018; 29:43-47. [PMID: 29234865 DOI: 10.1007/s00399-017-0544-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the healthy heart, physiological heterogeneities in structure and in electrical and mechanical activity are crucial for normal, efficient excitation and pumping. Alterations of heterogeneity have been linked to arrhythmogenesis in various cardiac disorders such as long QT syndrome (LQTS). This inherited arrhythmia disorder is caused by mutations in different ion channel genes and is characterized by (heterogeneously) prolonged cardiac repolarization and increased risk for ventricular tachycardia, syncope and sudden cardiac death. Cardiac electrical and mechanical function are not independent of each other but interact in a bidirectional manner by electromechanical and mechano-electrical coupling. Therefore, changes in either process will affect the other. Recent experimental and clinical evidence suggests that LQTS, which is primarily considered an "electrical" disorder, also exhibits features of disturbed mechanical function and heterogeneity, which in turn appears to correlate with the risk of arrhythmia in the individual patient. In this review, we give a short overview of the current knowledge about physiological and pathological, long QT-related electrical and mechanical heterogeneity in the heart. Also, their respective roles for future risk prediction approaches in LQTS are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F F Dressler
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - J Brado
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - K E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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12
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Chandra M, Escalante-Alcalde D, Bhuiyan MS, Orr AW, Kevil C, Morris AJ, Nam H, Dominic P, McCarthy KJ, Miriyala S, Panchatcharam M. Cardiac-specific inactivation of LPP3 in mice leads to myocardial dysfunction and heart failure. Redox Biol 2017; 14:261-271. [PMID: 28982073 PMCID: PMC5635346 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2017.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid Phosphate phosphatase 3 (LPP3), encoded by the Plpp3 gene, is an enzyme that dephosphorylates the bioactive lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). To study the role of LPP3 in the myocardium, we generated a cardiac specific Plpp3 deficient mouse strain. Although these mice were viable at birth in contrast to global Plpp3 knockout mice, they showed increased mortality ~ 8 months. LPP3 deficient mice had enlarged hearts with reduced left ventricular performance as seen by echocardiography. Cardiac specific Plpp3 deficient mice had longer ventricular effective refractory periods compared to their Plpp3 littermates. We observed that lack of Lpp3 enhanced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy based on analysis of cell surface area. We found that lack of Lpp3 signaling was mediated through the activation of Rho and phospho-ERK pathways. There are increased levels of fetal genes Natriuretic Peptide A and B (Nppa and Nppb) expression indicating myocardial dysfunction. These mice also demonstrate mitochondrial dysfunction as evidenced by a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in the basal oxygen consumption rate, mitochondrial ATP production, and spare respiratory capacity as measured through mitochondrial bioenergetics. Histology and transmission electron microscopy of these hearts showed disrupted sarcomere organization and intercalated disc, with a prominent disruption of the cristae and vacuole formation in the mitochondria. Our findings suggest that LPA/LPP3-signaling nexus plays an important role in normal function of cardiomyocytes. PLPP3 plays a prominent role in the heart compared to other isoforms of PLPP. Lack of PLPP3 results in deteriorating cardiac function. PLPP3 regulates LPA signaling in cardiomyocytes. Presence of PLPP3 is required for optimal mitochondrial function. Increased free radical production is mitigated with activated PLPP3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mini Chandra
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Diana Escalante-Alcalde
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, Mexico
| | - Md Shenuarin Bhuiyan
- Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Anthony Wayne Orr
- Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Christopher Kevil
- Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Andrew J Morris
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA
| | - Hyung Nam
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Paari Dominic
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Kevin J McCarthy
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA; Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA
| | - Sumitra Miriyala
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA.
| | - Manikandan Panchatcharam
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA.
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Chiamvimonvat N, Chen-Izu Y, Clancy CE, Deschenes I, Dobrev D, Heijman J, Izu L, Qu Z, Ripplinger CM, Vandenberg JI, Weiss JN, Koren G, Banyasz T, Grandi E, Sanguinetti MC, Bers DM, Nerbonne JM. Potassium currents in the heart: functional roles in repolarization, arrhythmia and therapeutics. J Physiol 2017; 595:2229-2252. [PMID: 27808412 DOI: 10.1113/jp272883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This is the second of the two White Papers from the fourth UC Davis Cardiovascular Symposium Systems Approach to Understanding Cardiac Excitation-Contraction Coupling and Arrhythmias (3-4 March 2016), a biennial event that brings together leading experts in different fields of cardiovascular research. The theme of the 2016 symposium was 'K+ channels and regulation', and the objectives of the conference were severalfold: (1) to identify current knowledge gaps; (2) to understand what may go wrong in the diseased heart and why; (3) to identify possible novel therapeutic targets; and (4) to further the development of systems biology approaches to decipher the molecular mechanisms and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The sessions of the Symposium focusing on the functional roles of the cardiac K+ channel in health and disease, as well as K+ channels as therapeutic targets, were contributed by Ye Chen-Izu, Gideon Koren, James Weiss, David Paterson, David Christini, Dobromir Dobrev, Jordi Heijman, Thomas O'Hara, Crystal Ripplinger, Zhilin Qu, Jamie Vandenberg, Colleen Clancy, Isabelle Deschenes, Leighton Izu, Tamas Banyasz, Andras Varro, Heike Wulff, Eleonora Grandi, Michael Sanguinetti, Donald Bers, Jeanne Nerbonne and Nipavan Chiamvimonvat as speakers and panel discussants. This article summarizes state-of-the-art knowledge and controversies on the functional roles of cardiac K+ channels in normal and diseased heart. We endeavour to integrate current knowledge at multiple scales, from the single cell to the whole organ levels, and from both experimental and computational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipavan Chiamvimonvat
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 6315, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CA, 95655, USA
| | - Ye Chen-Izu
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 6315, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 2303, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Colleen E Clancy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Isabelle Deschenes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA.,Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA
| | - Dobromir Dobrev
- Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122, Essen, Germany
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leighton Izu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 3645 MRL, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Crystal M Ripplinger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jamie I Vandenberg
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - James N Weiss
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 3645 MRL, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital and the Cardiovascular Institute, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Tamas Banyasz
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Eleonora Grandi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Michael C Sanguinetti
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research & Training Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Donald M Bers
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Genome and Biomedical Science Facility, Rm 3503, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jeanne M Nerbonne
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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14
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Odening KE, Kohl P. Follow the white rabbit. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 121:75-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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15
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Major P, Baczkó I, Hiripi L, Odening KE, Juhász V, Kohajda Z, Horváth A, Seprényi G, Kovács M, Virág L, Jost N, Prorok J, Ördög B, Doleschall Z, Nattel S, Varró A, Bősze Z. A novel transgenic rabbit model with reduced repolarization reserve: long QT syndrome caused by a dominant-negative mutation of the KCNE1 gene. Br J Pharmacol 2016; 173:2046-61. [PMID: 27076034 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The reliable assessment of proarrhythmic risk of compounds under development remains an elusive goal. Current safety guidelines focus on the effects of blocking the KCNH2/HERG ion channel-in tissues and animals with intact repolarization. Novel models with better predictive value are needed that more closely reflect the conditions in patients with cardiac remodelling and reduced repolarization reserve. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We have developed a model for the long QT syndrome type-5 in rabbits (LQT5 ) with cardiac-specific overexpression of a mutant (G52R) KCNE1 β-subunit of the channel that carries the slow delayed-rectifier K(+) -current (IKs ). ECG parameters, including short-term variability of the QT interval (STVQT ), a biomarker for proarrhythmic risk, and arrhythmia development were recorded. In vivo, arrhythmia susceptibility was evaluated by i.v. administration of the IKr blocker dofetilide. K(+) currents were measured with the patch-clamp technique. KEY RESULTS Patch-clamp studies in ventricular myocytes isolated from LQT5 rabbits revealed accelerated IKs and IKr deactivation kinetics. At baseline, LQT5 animals exhibited slightly but significantly prolonged heart-rate corrected QT index (QTi) and increased STVQT . Dofetilide provoked Torsade-de-Pointes arrhythmia in a greater proportion of LQT5 rabbits, paralleled by a further increase in STVQT . CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS We have created a novel transgenic LQT5 rabbit model with increased susceptibility to drug-induced arrhythmias that may represent a useful model for testing proarrhythmic potential and for investigations of the mechanisms underlying arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death due to repolarization disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Major
- Rabbit Genome and Biomodel Group, NARIC - Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - István Baczkó
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Hiripi
- Rabbit Genome and Biomodel Group, NARIC - Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Katja E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Viktor Juhász
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Kohajda
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Horváth
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - György Seprényi
- Department of Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Mária Kovács
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Virág
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Norbert Jost
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - János Prorok
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ördög
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Doleschall
- Department of Pathogenetics, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stanley Nattel
- Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.,Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - András Varró
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Research Group of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Bősze
- Rabbit Genome and Biomodel Group, NARIC - Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Gödöllő, Hungary
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16
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Lang CN, Koren G, Odening KE. Transgenic rabbit models to investigate the cardiac ion channel disease long QT syndrome. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 121:142-56. [PMID: 27210307 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a rare inherited channelopathy caused mainly by different mutations in genes encoding for cardiac K(+) or Na(+) channels, but can also be caused by commonly used ion-channel-blocking and QT-prolonging drugs, thus affecting a much larger population. To develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve the clinical management of these patients, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis and potential pharmacological targets is needed. Drug-induced and genetic animal models of various species have been generated and have been instrumental for identifying pro-arrhythmic triggers and important characteristics of the arrhythmogenic substrate in LQTS. However, due to species differences in features of cardiac electrical function, these different models do not entirely recapitulate all aspects of the human disease. In this review, we summarize advantages and shortcomings of different drug-induced and genetically mediated LQTS animal models - focusing on mouse and rabbit models since these represent the most commonly used small animal models for LQTS that can be subjected to genetic manipulation. In particular, we highlight the different aspects of arrhythmogenic mechanisms, pro-arrhythmic triggering factors, anti-arrhythmic agents, and electro-mechanical dysfunction investigated in transgenic LQTS rabbit models and their translational application for the clinical management of LQTS patients in detail. Transgenic LQTS rabbits have been instrumental to increase our understanding of the role of spatial and temporal dispersion of repolarization to provide an arrhythmogenic substrate, genotype-differences in the mechanisms for early afterdepolarization formation and arrhythmia maintenance, mechanisms of hormonal modification of arrhythmogenesis and regional heterogeneities in electro-mechanical dysfunction in LQTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- C N Lang
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, University Heart Center Freiburg, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - G Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - K E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, University Heart Center Freiburg, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
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Electro-mechanical dysfunction in long QT syndrome: Role for arrhythmogenic risk prediction and modulation by sex and sex hormones. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 120:255-69. [PMID: 26718598 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2015.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a congenital arrhythmogenic channelopathy characterized by impaired cardiac repolarization. Increasing evidence supports the notion that LQTS is not purely an "electrical" disease but rather an "electro-mechanical" disease with regionally heterogeneously impaired electrical and mechanical cardiac function. In the first part, this article reviews current knowledge on electro-mechanical (dys)function in LQTS, clinical consequences of the observed electro-mechanical dysfunction, and potential underlying mechanisms. Since several novel imaging techniques - Strain Echocardiography (SE) and Magnetic Resonance Tissue Phase Mapping (TPM) - are applied in clinical and experimental settings to assess the (regional) mechanical function, advantages of these non-invasive techniques and their feasibility in the clinical routine are particularly highlighted. The second part provides novel insights into sex differences and sex hormone effects on electro-mechanical cardiac function in a transgenic LQT2 rabbit model. Here we demonstrate that female LQT2 rabbits exhibit a prolonged time to diastolic peak - as marker for contraction duration and early relaxation - compared to males. Chronic estradiol-treatment enhances these differences in time to diastolic peak even more and additionally increases the risk for ventricular arrhythmia. Importantly, time to diastolic peak is particularly prolonged in rabbits exhibiting ventricular arrhythmia - regardless of hormone treatment - contrasting with a lack of differences in QT duration between symptomatic and asymptomatic LQT2 rabbits. This indicates the potential added value of the assessment of mechanical dysfunction in future risk stratification of LQTS patients.
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18
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Ziupa D, Beck J, Franke G, Perez Feliz S, Hartmann M, Koren G, Zehender M, Bode C, Brunner M, Odening KE. Pronounced effects of HERG-blockers E-4031 and erythromycin on APD, spatial APD dispersion and triangulation in transgenic long-QT type 1 rabbits. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107210. [PMID: 25244401 PMCID: PMC4170956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prolongation of action potential duration (APD), increased spatial APD dispersion, and triangulation are major factors promoting drug-induced ventricular arrhythmia. Preclinical identification of HERG/IKr-blocking drugs and their pro-arrhythmic potential, however, remains a challenge. We hypothesize that transgenic long-QT type 1 (LQT1) rabbits lacking repolarizing IKs current may help to sensitively detect HERG/IKr-blocking properties of drugs. Methods Hearts of adult female transgenic LQT1 and wild type littermate control (LMC) rabbits were Langendorff-perfused with increasing concentrations of HERG/IKr-blockers E-4031 (0.001–0.1 µM, n = 9/7) or erythromycin (1–300 µM, n = 9/7) and APD, APD dispersion, and triangulation were analyzed. Results At baseline, APD was longer in LQT1 than in LMC rabbits in LV apex and RV mid. Erythromycin and E-4031 prolonged APD in LQT1 and LMC rabbits in all positions. However, erythromycin-induced percentaged APD prolongation related to baseline (%APD) was more pronounced in LQT1 at LV base-lateral and RV mid positions (100 µM, LQT1, +40.6±9.7% vs. LMC, +24.1±10.0%, p<0.05) and E-4031-induced %APD prolongation was more pronounced in LQT1 at LV base-lateral (0.01 µM, LQT1, +29.6±10.6% vs. LMC, +19.1±3.8%, p<0.05) and LV base-septal positions. Moreover, erythromycin significantly increased spatial APD dispersion only in LQT1 and increased triangulation only in LQT1 in LV base-septal and RV mid positions. Similarly, E-4031 increased triangulation only in LQT1 in LV apex and base-septal positions. Conclusions E-4031 and erythromycin prolonged APD and increased triangulation more pronouncedly in LQT1 than in LMC rabbits. Moreover, erythromycin increased APD dispersion only in LQT1, indicating that transgenic LQT1 rabbits could serve as sensitive model to detect HERG/IKr-blocking properties of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ziupa
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julia Beck
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gerlind Franke
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Perez Feliz
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Hartmann
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Manfred Zehender
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Bode
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Brunner
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katja E. Odening
- Heart Center University of Freiburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Freiburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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VARKEVISSER ROSANNE, VOS MARCA, BEEKMAN JETD, TIELAND RALPHG, VAN DER HEYDEN MARCELA. AV-Block and Conduction Slowing Prevail Over TdP Arrhythmias in the Methoxamine-Sensitized Pro-Arrhythmic Rabbit Model. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2014; 26:82-9. [DOI: 10.1111/jce.12533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Revised: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- ROSANNE VARKEVISSER
- Department of Medical Physiology; Division Heart & Lungs University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - MARC A. VOS
- Department of Medical Physiology; Division Heart & Lungs University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - JET D. BEEKMAN
- Department of Medical Physiology; Division Heart & Lungs University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - RALPH G. TIELAND
- Department of Medical Physiology; Division Heart & Lungs University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - MARCEL A. VAN DER HEYDEN
- Department of Medical Physiology; Division Heart & Lungs University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
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20
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Li J, Maguy A, Duverger JE, Vigneault P, Comtois P, Shi Y, Tardif JC, Thomas D, Nattel S. Induced KCNQ1 autoimmunity accelerates cardiac repolarization in rabbits: potential significance in arrhythmogenesis and antiarrhythmic therapy. Heart Rhythm 2014; 11:2092-100. [PMID: 25087487 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2014.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autoantibodies directed against various cardiac receptors have been implicated in cardiomyopathy and heart rhythm disturbances. In a previous study among patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, autoantibodies targeting the cardiac voltage-gated KCNQ1 K(+) channel were associated with shortened corrected QT intervals (QTc). However, the electrophysiologic actions of KCNQ1 autoimmunity have not been assessed experimentally in a direct fashion. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardiac electrophysiologic effects of KCNQ1 autoantibody production induced by vaccination in a rabbit model. METHODS Rabbits were immunized with KCNQ1 channel peptide. ECG recordings were obtained during a 1-month follow-up period. Rabbits then underwent in vivo electrophysiologic study, after which cardiomyocytes were isolated for analysis of slow delayed rectifier current (IKs) and action potential properties via patch-clamp. RESULTS KCNQ1-immunized rabbits exhibited shortening of QTc compared to sham-immunized controls. Reduced ventricular effective refractory periods and increased susceptibility to ventricular tachyarrhythmia induction were noted in KCNQ1-immunized rabbits upon programmed ventricular stimulation. Action potential durations were shortened in cardiomyocytes isolated from KCNQ1-immunized rabbits compared to the sham group. IKs step and tail current densities were enhanced after KCNQ1 immunization. Functional and structural changes of the heart were not observed. The potential therapeutic significance of KCNQ1 immunization was then explored in a dofetilide-induced long QT rabbit model. KCNQ1 immunization prevented dofetilide-induced QTc prolongation and attenuated long QT-related arrhythmias. CONCLUSION Induction of KCNQ1 autoimmunity accelerates cardiac repolarization and increases susceptibility to ventricular tachyarrhythmia induction through IKs enhancement. On the other hand, vaccination against KCNQ1 ameliorates drug-induced QTc prolongation and might be useful therapeutically to enhance repolarization reserve in long QT syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Cardiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ange Maguy
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - James Elber Duverger
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Physiology, University of Montreal; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Patrick Vigneault
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Philippe Comtois
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Physiology, University of Montreal; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yanfen Shi
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Claude Tardif
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dierk Thomas
- Department of Cardiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stanley Nattel
- Department of Medicine and Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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21
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Angel N, Li L, Dosdall DJ. His bundle activates faster than ventricular myocardium during prolonged ventricular fibrillation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101666. [PMID: 25036418 PMCID: PMC4103805 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Purkinje fiber system has recently been implicated as an important driver of the rapid activation rate during long duration ventricular fibrillation (VF>2 minutes). The goal of this study is to determine whether this activity propagates to or occurs in the proximal specialized conduction system during VF as well. Methods and Results An 8×8 array with 300 µm spaced electrodes was placed over the His bundles of isolated, perfused rabbit hearts (n = 12). Ventricular myocardial (VM) and His activations were differentiated by calculating Laplacian recordings from unipolar signals. Activation rates of the VM and His bundle were compared and the His bundle conduction velocity was measured during perfused VF followed by 8 minutes of unperfused VF. During perfused VF the average VM activation rate of 11.04 activations/sec was significantly higher than the His bundle activation rate of 6.88 activations/sec (p<0.05). However from 3–8 minutes of unperfused VF the His system activation rate (6.16, 5.53, 5.14, 5.22, 6.00, and 4.62 activations/sec significantly faster than the rate of the VM (4.67, 3.63, 2.94, 2.24, 3.45, and 2.31 activations/sec) (p<0.05). The conduction velocity of the His system immediately decreased to 94% of the sinus rate during perfused VF then gradually decreased to 67% of sinus rhythm conduction at 8 minutes of unperfused VF. Conclusion During prolonged VF the activation rate of the His bundle is faster than that of the VM. This suggests that the proximal conduction system, like the distal Purkinje system, may be an important driver during long duration VF and may be a target for interventional therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Angel
- Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research & Management Center, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Li Li
- Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research & Management Center, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Derek J. Dosdall
- Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research & Management Center, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Center for Engineering Innovation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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22
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The Lambeth Conventions (II): Guidelines for the study of animal and human ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. Pharmacol Ther 2013; 139:213-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2013.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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23
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Odening KE, Jung BA, Lang CN, Cabrera Lozoya R, Ziupa D, Menza M, Relan J, Franke G, Perez Feliz S, Koren G, Zehender M, Bode C, Brunner M, Sermesant M, Föll D. Spatial correlation of action potential duration and diastolic dysfunction in transgenic and drug-induced LQT2 rabbits. Heart Rhythm 2013; 10:1533-41. [PMID: 23892340 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2013.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enhanced dispersion of action potential duration (APD) is a major contributor to long QT syndrome (LQTS)-related arrhythmias. OBJECTIVE To investigate spatial correlations of regional heterogeneities in cardiac repolarization and mechanical function in LQTS. METHODS Female transgenic LQTS type 2 (LQT2; n = 11) and wild-type littermate control (LMC) rabbits (n = 9 without E4031 and n = 10 with E4031) were subjected to phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging to assess regional myocardial velocities. In the same rabbits' hearts, monophasic APDs were assessed in corresponding segments. RESULTS In LQT2 and E4031-treated rabbits, APD was longer in all left ventricular segments (P < .01) and APD dispersion was greater than that in LMC rabbits (P < .01). In diastole, peak radial velocities (Vr) were reduced in LQT2 and E4031-treated compared to LMC rabbits in LV base and mid (LQT2: -3.36 ± 0.4 cm/s, P < .01; E4031-treated: -3.24 ± 0.6 cm/s, P < .0001; LMC: -4.42 ± 0.5 cm/s), indicating an impaired diastolic function. Regionally heterogeneous diastolic Vr correlated with APD (LQT2: correlation coefficient [CC] 0.38, P = .01; E4031-treated: CC 0.42, P < .05). Time-to-diastolic peak Vr were prolonged in LQT2 rabbits (LQT2: 196.8 ± 2.9 ms, P < .001; E4031-treated: 199.5 ± 2.2 ms, P < .0001, LMC 183.1 ± 1.5), indicating a prolonged contraction duration. Moreover, in transgenic LQT2 rabbits, diastolic time-to-diastolic peak Vr correlated with APD (CC 0.47, P = .001). In systole, peak Vr were reduced in LQT2 and E4031-treated rabbits (P < .01) but longitudinal velocities or ejection fraction did not differ. Finally, random forest machine learning algorithms enabled a differentiation between LQT2, E4031-treated, and LMC rabbits solely based on "mechanical" magnetic resonance imaging data. CONCLUSIONS The prolongation of APD led to impaired diastolic and systolic function in transgenic and drug-induced LQT2 rabbits. APD correlated with regional diastolic dysfunction, indicating that LQTS is not purely an electrical but an electromechanical disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja E Odening
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center Freiburg University, Freiburg, Germany.
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24
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Peng X. Transgenic rabbit models for studying human cardiovascular diseases. Comp Med 2012; 62:472-479. [PMID: 23561880 PMCID: PMC3527751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Revised: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases involve the heart or blood vessels and remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. A variety of animal models have been used to study cardiovascular diseases and have contributed to our understanding of their pathophysiology and treatment. However, mutations or abnormal expression of specific genes play important roles in the pathophysiology of some heart diseases, for which a closely similar animal model often is not naturally available. With the advent of techniques for specific genomic modification, several transgenic and knockout mouse models have been developed for cardiovascular conditions that result from spontaneous mutations. However, mouse and human heart show marked electrophysiologic differences. In addition, cardiac studies in mouse models are extremely difficult because of their small heart size and fast heart rate. Therefore, larger genetically engineered animal models are needed to overcome the limitations of the mouse models. This review summarizes the transgenic rabbit models that have been developed to study cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuwen Peng
- Department of Comparative Medicine, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA.
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25
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Ziv O, Schofield L, Lau E, Chaves L, Patel D, Jeng P, Peng X, Choi BR, Koren G. A novel, minimally invasive, segmental myocardial infarction with a clear healed infarct borderzone in rabbits. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2012; 302:H2321-30. [PMID: 22447944 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00031.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ventricular arrhythmias in the setting of a healed myocardial infarction have been studied to a much lesser degree than acute and subacute infarction, due to the pericardial scarring, which results from the traditional open-chest techniques used for myocardial infarction (MI) induction. We sought to develop a segmental MI with low perioperative mortality in the rabbit that allows optimal visualization and therefore improved study of the infarction borderzone. Rabbits underwent MI using endovascular coil occlusion of the first obtuse marginal artery. Three weeks postprocedure, we evaluated our model by echocardiography and electrophysiology studies, optical mapping of isolated hearts, and histological studies. Seventeen rabbits underwent the protocol (12 MI and 5 sham) with a 92% survival to completion of the study (11 MI and 5 sham). MI rabbits demonstrated wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography while shams did not. At electrophysiological study, two MI rabbits had inducible ventricular tachycardia and one had inducible ventricular fibrillation. Isolated hearts demonstrated no pericardial scarring with a smooth, easily identifiable infarct borderzone. Optical mapping of the borderzone region showed successful mapping of peri-infarct reentry formation, with ventricular fibrillation inducible in 11 of 11 MI hearts and 1 of 5 sham hearts. We demonstrate successful high resolution mapping in the borderzone, showing delayed conduction in this region corresponding to late deflections in the QRS on ECG. We report the successful development of a minimally invasive MI via targeted coil delivery to the obtuse marginal artery with an exceptionally high rate of procedural survival and an arrhythmogenic phenotype. This model mimics human post-MI on echocardiography, gross pathology, histology, and electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Ziv
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, USA
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Duranthon V, Beaujean N, Brunner M, Odening KE, Santos AN, Kacskovics I, Hiripi L, Weinstein EJ, Bosze Z. On the emerging role of rabbit as human disease model and the instrumental role of novel transgenic tools. Transgenic Res 2012; 21:699-713. [PMID: 22382461 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-012-9599-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The laboratory rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is widely used as a model for human diseases, because of its size, which permits non-lethal monitoring of physiological changes and similar disease characteristics. Novel transgenic tools such as, the zinc finger nuclease method and the sleeping beauty transposon mediated or BAC transgenesis were recently adapted to the laboratory rabbit and opened new opportunities in precise tissue and developmental stage specific gene expression/silencing, coupled with increased transgenic efficiencies. Many facets of human development and diseases cannot be investigated in rodents. This is especially true for early prenatal development, its long-lasting effects on health and complex disorders, and some economically important diseases such as atherosclerosis or cardiovascular diseases. The first transgenic rabbits models of arrhythmogenesis mimic human cardiac diseases much better than transgenic mice and hereby underline the importance of non-mouse models. Another emerging field is epigenetic reprogramming and pathogenic mechanisms in diabetic pregnancy, where rabbit models are indispensable. Beyond that rabbit is used for decades as major source of polyclonal antibodies and recently in monoclonal antibody production. Alteration of its genome to increase the efficiency and value of the antibodies by humanization of the immunoglobulin genes, or by increasing the expression of a special receptor (Fc receptor) that augments humoral immune response is a current demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Duranthon
- INRA, UMR 1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, 78350 Jouy en Josas, France
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Cooper LL, Odening KE, Hwang MS, Chaves L, Schofield L, Taylor CA, Gemignani AS, Mitchell GF, Forder JR, Choi BR, Koren G. Electromechanical and structural alterations in the aging rabbit heart and aorta. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2012; 302:H1625-35. [PMID: 22307668 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00960.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Aging increases the risk for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We aimed at elucidating aging-related electrical, functional, and structural changes in the heart and vasculature that account for this heightened arrhythmogenic risk. Young (5-9 mo) and old (3.5-6 yr) female New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were subjected to in vivo hemodynamic, electrophysiological, and echocardiographic studies as well as ex vivo optical mapping, high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and histochemical experiments. Aging increased aortic stiffness (baseline pulse wave velocity: young, 3.54 ± 0.36 vs. old, 4.35 ± 0.28 m/s, P < 0.002) and diastolic (end diastolic pressure-volume relations: 3.28 ± 0.5 vs. 4.95 ± 1.5 mmHg/ml, P < 0.05) and systolic (end systolic pressure-volume relations: 20.56 ± 4.2 vs. 33.14 ± 8.4 mmHg/ml, P < 0.01) myocardial elastances in old rabbits. Electrophysiological and optical mapping studies revealed age-related slowing of ventricular and His-Purkinje conduction (His-to-ventricle interval: 23 ± 2.5 vs. 31.9 ± 2.9 ms, P < 0.0001), altered conduction anisotropy, and a greater inducibility of ventricular fibrillation (VF, 3/12 vs. 7/9, P < 0.05) in old rabbits. Histochemical studies confirmed an aging-related increased fibrosis in the ventricles. MRI showed a deterioration of the free-running Purkinje fiber network in ventricular and septal walls in old hearts as well as aging-related alterations of the myofibrillar orientation and myocardial sheet structure that may account for this slowed conduction velocity. Aging leads to parallel stiffening of the aorta and the heart, including an increase in systolic stiffness and contractility and diastolic stiffness. Increasingly, anisotropic conduction velocity due to fibrosis and altered myofibrillar orientation and myocardial sheet structure may contribute to the pathogenesis of VF in old hearts. The aging rabbit model represents a useful tool for elucidating age-related changes that predispose the aging heart to arrhythmias and SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leroy L Cooper
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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28
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Odening KE, Choi BR, Liu GX, Hartmann K, Ziv O, Chaves L, Schofield L, Centracchio J, Zehender M, Peng X, Brunner M, Koren G. Estradiol promotes sudden cardiac death in transgenic long QT type 2 rabbits while progesterone is protective. Heart Rhythm 2012; 9:823-32. [PMID: 22245795 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2012.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postpubertal women with inherited long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) are at increased risk for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (pVT) and sudden cardiac death (SCD), particularly during the postpartum period. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether sex hormones directly modulate the arrhythmogenic risk in LQTS. METHODS Prepubertal ovariectomized transgenic LQT2 rabbits were treated with estradiol (EST), progesterone (PROG), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), or placebo (OVX). RESULTS During 8 weeks of treatment, major cardiac events-spontaneous pVT or SCD-occurred in 5 of the 7 EST rabbits and in 2 of the 9 OVX rabbits (P <.05); in contrast, no events occurred in 9 PROG rabbits and 6 DHT rabbits (P <.01 vs PROG; P <.05 vs DHT). Moreover, EST increased the incidence of pVT (P <.05 vs OVX), while PROG reduced premature ventricular contractions, bigeminy, couplets, triplets, and pVT (P <.01 vs OVX; P <.001 vs EST). In vivo electrocardiographic monitoring, in vivo electrophysiological studies, and ex vivo optical mapping studies revealed that EST promoted SCD by steepening the QT/RR slope (P <.05), by prolonging cardiac refractoriness (P <.05), and by altering the spatial pattern of action potential duration dispersion. Isoproterenol-induced Ca(2+) oscillations resulted in early afterdepolarizations in EST-treated hearts (4 of 4), while PROG prevented SCD by eliminating this early afterdepolarization formation in 4 of the 7 hearts (P = .058 vs EST; P <.05 vs OVX). Analyses of ion currents demonstrated that EST increased the density of I(Ca,L) as compared with OVX (P <.05) while PROG decreased it (P <.05). CONCLUSION This study reveals the proarrhythmic effect of EST and the antiarrhythmic effect of PROG in LQT2 in vivo, outlining a new potential antiarrhythmic therapy for LQTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja E Odening
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Salama G, Akar FG. Deciphering Arrhythmia Mechanisms - Tools of the Trade. Card Electrophysiol Clin 2011; 3:11-21. [PMID: 21572551 PMCID: PMC3093299 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccep.2010.10.013] [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] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Pathophysiological remodeling of cardiac function occurs at multiple levels, spanning the spectrum from molecular and sub-cellular changes to those occurring at the organ-system levels. Of key importance to arrhythmias are changes in electrophysiological and calcium handling properties at the tissue level. In this review, we discuss how high-resolution optical action potential and calcium transient imaging has advanced our understanding of basic arrhythmia mechanisms associated with multiple cardiovascular disorders, including the long QT syndrome, heart failure, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. We focus on the role of repolarization gradients (section 1) and calcium mediated triggers (section 2) in the initiation and maintenance of complex arrhythmias in these settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Salama
- University of Pittsburgh, The Cardiovascular Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261
| | - Fadi G. Akar
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, Tel: 212-241-9251; FAX: 212-241-4080
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