1
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Laurita KR, Piktel JS, Irish L, Nassal M, Cheng A, McCauley M, Pawlowski G, Dennis AT, Suen Y, Almahameed S, Ziv O, Gourdie RG, Wilson LD. Spontaneous Repolarization Alternans Causes VT/VF Rearrest That Is Suppressed by Preserving Gap Junctions. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2024; 10:1271-1286. [PMID: 38752959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2024.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) rearrest after successful resuscitation is common, and survival is poor. A mechanism of VT/VF, as demonstrated in ex vivo studies, is when repolarization alternans becomes spatially discordant (DIS ALT), which can be enhanced by impaired gap junctions (GJs). However, in vivo spontaneous DIS ALT-induced VT/VF has never been demonstrated, and the effects of GJ on DIS ALT and VT/VF rearrest are unknown. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine whether spontaneous VT/VF rearrest induced by DIS ALT occurs in vivo, and if it can be suppressed by preserving Cx43-mediated GJ coupling and/or connectivity. METHODS We used an in vivo porcine model of resuscitation from ischemia-induced cardiac arrest combined with ex vivo optical mapping in porcine left ventricular wedge preparations. RESULTS In vivo, DIS ALT frequently preceded VT/VF and paralleled its incidence at normal (37°C, n = 9) and mild hypothermia (33°C, n = 8) temperatures. Maintaining GJs in vivo with rotigaptide (n = 10) reduced DIS ALT and VT/VF incidence, especially during mild hypothermia, by 90% and 60%, respectively (P < 0.001; P < 0.013). Ex vivo, both rotigaptide (n = 5) and αCT11 (n = 7), a Cx43 mimetic peptide that promotes GJ connectivity, significantly reduced DIS ALT by 60% and 100%, respectively (P < 0.05; P < 0.005), and this reduction was associated with reduced intrinsic heterogeneities of action potential duration rather than changes in conduction velocity restitution. CONCLUSIONS These results provide the strongest in vivo evidence to date suggesting a causal relationship between spontaneous DIS ALT and VT/VF in a clinically realistic scenario. Furthermore, our results suggest that preserving GJs during resuscitation can suppress VT/VF rearrest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R Laurita
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Joseph S Piktel
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Laken Irish
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Michelle Nassal
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Aurelia Cheng
- Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Matthew McCauley
- Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Gary Pawlowski
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Adrienne T Dennis
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yi Suen
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Soufian Almahameed
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ohad Ziv
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Robert G Gourdie
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech University, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Lance D Wilson
- Heart and Vascular Research Center, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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2
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Lei M, Salvage SC, Jackson AP, Huang CLH. Cardiac arrhythmogenesis: roles of ion channels and their functional modification. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1342761. [PMID: 38505707 PMCID: PMC10949183 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1342761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias cause significant morbidity and mortality and pose a major public health problem. They arise from disruptions in the normally orderly propagation of cardiac electrophysiological activation and recovery through successive cardiomyocytes in the heart. They reflect abnormalities in automaticity, initiation, conduction, or recovery in cardiomyocyte excitation. The latter properties are dependent on surface membrane electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the cardiac action potential. Their disruption results from spatial or temporal instabilities and heterogeneities in the generation and propagation of cellular excitation. These arise from abnormal function in their underlying surface membrane, ion channels, and transporters, as well as the interactions between them. The latter, in turn, form common regulatory targets for the hierarchical network of diverse signaling mechanisms reviewed here. In addition to direct molecular-level pharmacological or physiological actions on these surface membrane biomolecules, accessory, adhesion, signal transduction, and cytoskeletal anchoring proteins modify both their properties and localization. At the cellular level of excitation-contraction coupling processes, Ca2+ homeostatic and phosphorylation processes affect channel activity and membrane excitability directly or through intermediate signaling. Systems-level autonomic cellular signaling exerts both acute channel and longer-term actions on channel expression. Further upstream intermediaries from metabolic changes modulate the channels both themselves and through modifying Ca2+ homeostasis. Finally, longer-term organ-level inflammatory and structural changes, such as fibrotic and hypertrophic remodeling, similarly can influence all these physiological processes with potential pro-arrhythmic consequences. These normal physiological processes may target either individual or groups of ionic channel species and alter with particular pathological conditions. They are also potentially alterable by direct pharmacological action, or effects on longer-term targets modifying protein or cofactor structure, expression, or localization. Their participating specific biomolecules, often clarified in experimental genetically modified models, thus constitute potential therapeutic targets. The insights clarified by the physiological and pharmacological framework outlined here provide a basis for a recent modernized drug classification. Together, they offer a translational framework for current drug understanding. This would facilitate future mechanistically directed therapeutic advances, for which a number of examples are considered here. The latter are potentially useful for treating cardiac, in particular arrhythmic, disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Lei
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha C. Salvage
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Antony P. Jackson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher L.-H. Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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3
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Otani NF, Figueroa E, Garrison J, Hewson M, Muñoz L, Fenton FH, Karma A, Weinberg SH. Ephaptic Coupling as a Resolution to the Paradox of Action Potential Wave Speed and Discordant Alternans Spatial Scales in the Heart. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:218401. [PMID: 37295103 PMCID: PMC10688031 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.218401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Previous computer simulations have suggested that existing models of action potential wave propagation in the heart are not consistent with observed wave propagation behavior. Specifically, computer models cannot simultaneously reproduce the rapid wave speeds and small spatial scales of discordant alternans patterns measured experimentally in the same simulation. The discrepancy is important, because discordant alternans can be a key precursor to the development of abnormal and dangerous rapid rhythms in the heart. In this Letter, we show that this paradox can be resolved by allowing so-called ephaptic coupling to play a primary role in wave front propagation in place of conventional gap-junction coupling. With this modification, physiological wave speeds and small discordant alternans spatial scales both occur with gap-junction resistance values that are more in line with those observed in experiments. Our theory thus also provides support to the hypothesis that ephaptic coupling plays an important role in normal wave propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels F. Otani
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - Eileen Figueroa
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - James Garrison
- Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943, USA
| | - Michelle Hewson
- Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723, USA
| | - Laura Muñoz
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | | | - Alain Karma
- Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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4
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Baggett BC, Murphy KR, Sengun E, Mi E, Cao Y, Turan NN, Lu Y, Schofield L, Kim TY, Kabakov AY, Bronk P, Qu Z, Camelliti P, Dubielecka P, Terentyev D, del Monte F, Choi BR, Sedivy J, Koren G. Myofibroblast senescence promotes arrhythmogenic remodeling in the aged infarcted rabbit heart. eLife 2023; 12:e84088. [PMID: 37204302 PMCID: PMC10259375 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive tissue remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) promotes cardiac arrhythmias. This process is well studied in young animals, but little is known about pro-arrhythmic changes in aged animals. Senescent cells accumulate with age and accelerate age-associated diseases. Senescent cells interfere with cardiac function and outcome post-MI with age, but studies have not been performed in larger animals, and the mechanisms are unknown. Specifically, age-associated changes in timecourse of senescence and related changes in inflammation and fibrosis are not well understood. Additionally, the cellular and systemic role of senescence and its inflammatory milieu in influencing arrhythmogenesis with age is not clear, particularly in large animal models with cardiac electrophysiology more similar to humans than previously studied animal models. Here, we investigated the role of senescence in regulating inflammation, fibrosis, and arrhythmogenesis in young and aged infarcted rabbits. Aged rabbits exhibited increased peri-procedural mortality and arrhythmogenic electrophysiological remodeling at the infarct border zone (IBZ) compared to young rabbits. Studies of the aged infarct zone revealed persistent myofibroblast senescence and increased inflammatory signaling over a 12-week timecourse. Senescent IBZ myofibroblasts in aged rabbits appear to be coupled to myocytes, and our computational modeling showed that senescent myofibroblast-cardiomyocyte coupling prolongs action potential duration (APD) and facilitates conduction block permissive of arrhythmias. Aged infarcted human ventricles show levels of senescence consistent with aged rabbits, and senescent myofibroblasts also couple to IBZ myocytes. Our findings suggest that therapeutic interventions targeting senescent cells may mitigate arrhythmias post-MI with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett C Baggett
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Kevin R Murphy
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Elif Sengun
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Istanbul UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Eric Mi
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Yueming Cao
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Nilufer N Turan
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Yichun Lu
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Lorraine Schofield
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Tae Yun Kim
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Anatoli Y Kabakov
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Peter Bronk
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Zhilin Qu
- School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Patrizia Camelliti
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of SurreyGuildfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Patrycja Dubielecka
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Department of Hematology, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | - Dmitry Terentyev
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | | | - Bum-Rak Choi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
| | | | - Gideon Koren
- Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Rhode Island HospitalProvidenceUnited States
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5
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Otani NF, Figueroa E, Garrison J, Hewson M, Muñoz L, Fenton FH, Karma A, Weinberg SH. Role of ephaptic coupling in discordant alternans domain sizes and action potential propagation in the heart. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:054407. [PMID: 37329030 PMCID: PMC10688036 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.054407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Discordant alternans, the spatially out-of-phase alternation of the durations of propagating action potentials in the heart, has been linked to the onset of fibrillation, a major cardiac rhythm disorder. The sizes of the regions, or domains, within which these alternations are synchronized are critical in this link. However, computer models employing standard gap junction-based coupling between cells have been unable to reproduce simultaneously the small domain sizes and rapid action potential propagation speeds seen in experiments. Here we use computational methods to show that rapid wave speeds and small domain sizes are possible when a more detailed model of intercellular coupling that accounts for so-called ephaptic effects is used. We provide evidence that the smaller domain sizes are possible, because different coupling strengths can exist on the wavefronts, for which both ephaptic and gap-junction coupling are involved, in contrast to the wavebacks, where only gap-junction coupling plays an active role. The differences in coupling strength are due to the high density of fast-inward (sodium) channels known to localize on the ends of cardiac cells, which are only active (and thus engage ephaptic coupling) during wavefront propagation. Thus, our results suggest that this distribution of fast-inward channels, as well as other factors responsible for the critical involvement of ephaptic coupling in wave propagation, including intercellular cleft spacing, play important roles in increasing the vulnerability of the heart to life-threatening tachyarrhythmias. Our results, combined with the absence of short-wavelength discordant alternans domains in standard gap-junction-dominated coupling models, also provide evidence that both gap-junction and ephaptic coupling are critical in wavefront propagation and waveback dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels F. Otani
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - Eileen Figueroa
- Department of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - James Garrison
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943, USA
| | - Michelle Hewson
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723, USA
| | - Laura Muñoz
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - Flavio H. Fenton
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Alain Karma
- Physics Department and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Complex Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Seth H. Weinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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6
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You T, Xie Y, Luo C, Zhang K, Zhang H. Mechanistic insights into spontaneous transition from cellular alternans to ventricular fibrillation. Physiol Rep 2023; 11:e15619. [PMID: 36863774 PMCID: PMC9981424 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
T-wave alternans (TWA) has been used for predicting the risk of malignant cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in multiple clinical settings; however, possible mechanism(s) underlying the spontaneous transition from cellular alternans reflected by TWA to arrhythmias in impaired repolarization remains unclear. The healthy guinea pig ventricular myocytes under E-4031 blocking IKr (0.1 μM, N = 12; 0.3 μM, N = 10; 1 μM, N = 10) were evaluated using whole-cell patch-clamp. The electrophysiological properties of isolated perfused guinea pig hearts under E-4031 (0.1 μM, N = 5; 0.3 μM, N = 5; 1 μM, N = 5) were evaluated using dual- optical mapping. The amplitude/threshold/restitution curves of action potential duration (APD) alternans and potential mechanism(s) underlying the spontaneous transition of cellular alternans to ventricular fibrillation (VF) were examined. There were longer APD80 and increased amplitude and threshold of APD alternans in E-4031 group compared with baseline group, which was reflected by more pronounced arrhythmogenesis at the tissue level, and were associated with steep restitution curves of the APD and the conduction velocity (CV). Conduction of AP alternans augmented tissue's functional spatiotemporal heterogeneity of regional AP/Ca alternans, as well as the AP/Ca dispersion, leading to localized uni-directional conduction block that spontaneous facilitated the formation of reentrant excitation waves without the need for additional premature stimulus. Our results provide a possible mechanism for the spontaneous transition from cardiac electrical alternans in cellular action potentials and intercellular conduction without the involvement of premature excitations, and explain the increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in impaired repolarization. In this study, we implemented voltage-clamp and dual-optical mapping approaches to investigate the underlying mechanism(s) for the arrhythmogenesis of cardiac alternans in the guinea pig heart at cellular and tissue levels. Our results demonstrated a spontaneous development of reentry from cellular alternans, arising from a combined actions of restitution properties of action potential duration, conduction velocity of excitation wave and interplay between alternants of action potential and the intracellular Ca handling. We believe this study provides new insights into underlying the mechanism, by which cellular cardiac alternans spontaneously evolves into cardiac arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting You
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, (Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases)Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Department of NeurosurgeryXinqiao Hospital, Army Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yulong Xie
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, (Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases)Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Cunjin Luo
- School of Computer Science and Electronic EngineeringUniversity of EssexColchesterUK
| | - Kevin Zhang
- School of MedicineImperial College of LondonLondonUK
| | - Henggui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, (Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases)Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
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7
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Abstract
Cardiac alternans arises from dynamical instabilities in the electrical and calcium cycling systems of the heart, and often precedes ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. In this review, we integrate clinical observations with theory and experiment to paint a holistic portrait of cardiac alternans: the underlying mechanisms, arrhythmic manifestations and electrocardiographic signatures. We first summarize the cellular and tissue mechanisms of alternans that have been demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally, including 3 voltage-driven and 2 calcium-driven alternans mechanisms. Based on experimental and simulation results, we describe their relevance to mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis under different disease conditions, and their link to electrocardiographic characteristics of alternans observed in patients. Our major conclusion is that alternans is not only a predictor, but also a causal mechanism of potentially lethal ventricular and atrial arrhythmias across the full spectrum of arrhythmia mechanisms that culminate in functional reentry, although less important for anatomic reentry and focal arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Departments of Medicine (Cardiology), Physiology, and Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - James N. Weiss
- Departments of Medicine (Cardiology), Physiology, and Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
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8
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Ripplinger CM, Glukhov AV, Kay MW, Boukens BJ, Chiamvimonvat N, Delisle BP, Fabritz L, Hund TJ, Knollmann BC, Li N, Murray KT, Poelzing S, Quinn TA, Remme CA, Rentschler SL, Rose RA, Posnack NG. Guidelines for assessment of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias in small animals. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2022; 323:H1137-H1166. [PMID: 36269644 PMCID: PMC9678409 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00439.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although recent advances in cell-based models, including human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM), are contributing to our understanding of electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms, preclinical animal studies of cardiovascular disease remain a mainstay. Over the past several decades, animal models of cardiovascular disease have advanced our understanding of pathological remodeling, arrhythmia mechanisms, and drug effects and have led to major improvements in pacing and defibrillation therapies. There exist a variety of methodological approaches for the assessment of cardiac electrophysiology and a plethora of parameters may be assessed with each approach. This guidelines article will provide an overview of the strengths and limitations of several common techniques used to assess electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms at the whole animal, whole heart, and tissue level with a focus on small animal models. We also define key electrophysiological parameters that should be assessed, along with their physiological underpinnings, and the best methods with which to assess these parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal M Ripplinger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - Alexey V Glukhov
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Matthew W Kay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Bastiaan J Boukens
- Department Physiology, University Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nipavan Chiamvimonvat
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
- Veterans Affairs Northern California Healthcare System, Mather, California
| | - Brian P Delisle
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - Larissa Fabritz
- University Center of Cardiovascular Science, University Heart and Vascular Center, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf with DZHK Hamburg/Kiel/Luebeck, Germany
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas J Hund
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Bjorn C Knollmann
- Vanderbilt Center for Arrhythmia Research and Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Na Li
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Katherine T Murray
- Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Steven Poelzing
- Virginia Tech Carilon School of Medicine, Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - T Alexander Quinn
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Carol Ann Remme
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Heart Centre, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Heart Failure and Arrhythmias Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stacey L Rentschler
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Robert A Rose
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nikki G Posnack
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
- Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia
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9
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Abstract
The global burden caused by cardiovascular disease is substantial, with heart disease representing the most common cause of death around the world. There remains a need to develop better mechanistic models of cardiac function in order to combat this health concern. Heart rhythm disorders, or arrhythmias, are one particular type of disease which has been amenable to quantitative investigation. Here we review the application of quantitative methodologies to explore dynamical questions pertaining to arrhythmias. We begin by describing single-cell models of cardiac myocytes, from which two and three dimensional models can be constructed. Special focus is placed on results relating to pattern formation across these spatially-distributed systems, especially the formation of spiral waves of activation. Next, we discuss mechanisms which can lead to the initiation of arrhythmias, focusing on the dynamical state of spatially discordant alternans, and outline proposed mechanisms perpetuating arrhythmias such as fibrillation. We then review experimental and clinical results related to the spatio-temporal mapping of heart rhythm disorders. Finally, we describe treatment options for heart rhythm disorders and demonstrate how statistical physics tools can provide insights into the dynamics of heart rhythm disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter-Jan Rappel
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
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10
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Huang C, Song Z, Qu Z. Synchronization of spatially discordant voltage and calcium alternans in cardiac tissue. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:024406. [PMID: 36109882 PMCID: PMC11316446 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.024406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The heart is an excitable medium which is excited by membrane potential depolarization and propagation. Membrane potential depolarization brings in calcium (Ca) through the Ca channels to trigger intracellular Ca release for contraction of the heart. Ca also affects voltage via Ca-dependent ionic currents, and thus, voltage and Ca are bidirectionally coupled. It has been shown that the voltage subsystem or the Ca subsystem can generate its own dynamical instabilities which are affected by their bidirectional couplings, leading to complex dynamics of action potential and Ca cycling. Moreover, the dynamics become spatiotemporal in tissue in which cells are diffusively coupled through voltage. A widely investigated spatiotemporal dynamics is spatially discordant alternans (SDA) in which action potential duration (APD) or Ca amplitude exhibits temporally period-2 and spatially out-of-phase patterns, i.e., APD-SDA and Ca-SDA patterns, respectively. However, the mechanisms of formation, stability, and synchronization of APD-SDA and Ca-SDA patterns remain incompletely understood. In this paper, we use cardiac tissue models described by an amplitude equation, coupled iterated maps, and reaction-diffusion equations with detailed physiology (the ionic model) to perform analytical and computational investigations. We show that, when the Ca subsystem is stable, the Ca-SDA pattern always follows the APD-SDA pattern, and thus, they are always synchronized. When the Ca subsystem is unstable, synchronization of APD-SDA and Ca-SDA patterns depends on the stabilities of both subsystems, their coupling strengths, and the spatial scales of the initial Ca-SDA patterns. Spontaneous (initial condition-independent) synchronization is promoted by enhancing APD instability and reducing Ca instability as well as stronger Ca-to-APD and APD-to-Ca coupling, a pattern formation caused by dynamical instabilities. When Ca is more unstable and APD is less unstable or APD-to-Ca coupling is weak, synchronization of APD-SDA and Ca-SDA patterns is promoted by larger initially synchronized Ca-SDA clusters, i.e., initial condition-dependent synchronization. The synchronized APD-SDA and Ca-SDA patterns can be locked in-phase, antiphase, or quasiperiodic depending on the coupling relationship between APD and Ca. These theoretical and simulation results provide mechanistic insights into the APD-SDA and Ca-SDA dynamics observed in experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunli Huang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Zhen Song
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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11
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Greene D, Kaboudian A, Wasserstrom JA, Fenton FH, Shiferaw Y. Voltage-mediated mechanism for calcium wave synchronization and arrhythmogenesis in atrial tissue. Biophys J 2022; 121:383-395. [PMID: 34968425 PMCID: PMC8822619 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A wide range of atrial arrythmias are caused by molecular defects in proteins that regulate calcium (Ca) cycling. In many cases, these defects promote the propagation of subcellular Ca waves in the cell, which can perturb the voltage time course and induce dangerous perturbations of the action potential (AP). However, subcellular Ca waves occur randomly in cells and, therefore, electrical coupling between cells substantially decreases their effect on the AP. In this study, we present evidence that Ca waves in atrial tissue can synchronize in-phase owing to an order-disorder phase transition. In particular, we show that, below a critical pacing rate, Ca waves are desynchronized and therefore do not induce substantial AP fluctuations in tissue. However, above this critical pacing rate, Ca waves gradually synchronize over millions of cells, which leads to a dramatic amplification of AP fluctuations. We exploit an underlying Ising symmetry of paced cardiac tissue to show that this transition exhibits universal properties common to a wide range of physical systems in nature. Finally, we show that in the heart, phase synchronization induces spatially out-of-phase AP duration alternans which drives wave break and reentry. These results suggest that cardiac tissue exhibits a phase transition that is required for subcellular Ca cycling defects to induce a life-threatening arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- D'Artagnan Greene
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University, Northridge, California
| | - Abouzar Kaboudian
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - John A. Wasserstrom
- The Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Flavio H. Fenton
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Yohannes Shiferaw
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University, Northridge, California,Corresponding author
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12
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Shibata N, Inada S, Nakazawa K, Ashihara T, Tomii N, Yamazaki M, Honjo H, Seno H, Sakuma I. Mechanism of Ventricular Fibrillation: Current Status and Problems. ADVANCED BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.14326/abe.11.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nitaro Shibata
- Department of Cardiology, Shinjuku Mitsui Building Clinic
| | - Shin Inada
- Faculty of Medical Science Technology, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences
| | - Kazuo Nakazawa
- Faculty of Medical Science Technology, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences
| | - Takashi Ashihara
- Department of Medical Informatics and Biomedical Engineering, Shiga University of Medical Science
| | - Naoki Tomii
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo
| | | | - Haruo Honjo
- Health Promotion Division, Toyota Autobody Co. Ltd
| | - Hiroshi Seno
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo
| | - Ichiro Sakuma
- Medical Device Development and Regulation Research Center, The University of Tokyo
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13
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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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14
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Lee HL, Chang PC, Wo HT, Liu HT, Wen MS, Chou CC. Beneficial Electrophysiological Effects of Rotigaptide Are Unable to Suppress Therapeutic Hypothermia-Provoked Ventricular Fibrillation in Failing Rabbit Hearts With Acute Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Front Physiol 2021; 12:726389. [PMID: 34588996 PMCID: PMC8473906 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.726389] [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] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: Whether therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is proarrhythmic in preexisting failing hearts with acute ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury is unknown. Additionally, the effectiveness of rotigaptide on improving conduction slowing in hearts with IR injury is ambiguous. We investigated the electrophysiological effects of TH and rotigaptide in failing rabbit hearts with acute IR injury and determined the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods and Results: Heart failure was induced by right ventricular pacing (320 beats/min, 4 weeks). Rabbits with pacing-induced heart failure were randomly divided into TH (n = 14) and non-TH (n = 7) groups. The IR rabbit model was created by ligating the coronary artery for 60 min, followed by reperfusion for 15 min in vivo. Then, the hearts were excised quickly and Langendorff-perfused for simultaneous voltage and intracellular Ca2+ (Cai) optical mapping. Electrophysiological studies were conducted, and vulnerability to ventricular fibrillation (VF) was evaluated using pacing protocols. TH (33°C) was instituted after baseline studies, and electrophysiological studies were repeated. Rotigaptide (300 nM) was infused for 20 min, and electrophysiological studies were repeated under TH. Cardiac tissues were sampled for Western blotting. TH increased the dispersion and beat-to-beat variability of action potential duration (APD), aggravated conduction slowing, and prolonged Cai decay to facilitate spatially discordant alternans (SDA) and VF induction. Rotigaptide reduced the dispersion and beat-to-beat variability of APD and improved slowed conduction to defer the onset of arrhythmogenic SDA by dynamic pacing and elevate the pacing threshold of VF during TH. However, the effect of rotigaptide on TH-enhanced VF inducibility was statistically insignificant. TH attenuated IR-induced dysregulation of protein expression, but its functional role remained uncertain. Conclusion: Therapeutic hypothermia is proarrhythmic in failing hearts with acute IR injury. Rotigaptide improves TH-induced APD dispersion and beat-to-beat variability and conduction disturbance to defer the onset of arrhythmogenic SDA and elevate the VF threshold by dynamic pacing, but these beneficial electrophysiological effects are unable to suppress TH-enhanced VF inducibility significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ling Lee
- Department of Anesthesia, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Po-Cheng Chang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Ta Wo
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Tien Liu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Shien Wen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.,Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Chuan Chou
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.,Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
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15
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Majumder R, Hussaini S, Zykov VS, Luther S, Bodenschatz E. Pulsed low-energy stimulation initiates electric turbulence in cardiac tissue. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009476. [PMID: 34624017 PMCID: PMC8528298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Interruptions in nonlinear wave propagation, commonly referred to as wave breaks, are typical of many complex excitable systems. In the heart they lead to lethal rhythm disorders, the so-called arrhythmias, which are one of the main causes of sudden death in the industrialized world. Progress in the treatment and therapy of cardiac arrhythmias requires a detailed understanding of the triggers and dynamics of these wave breaks. In particular, two very important questions are: 1) What determines the potential of a wave break to initiate re-entry? and 2) How do these breaks evolve such that the system is able to maintain spatiotemporally chaotic electrical activity? Here we approach these questions numerically using optogenetics in an in silico model of human atrial tissue that has undergone chronic atrial fibrillation (cAF) remodelling. In the lesser studied sub-threshold illumination régime, we discover a new mechanism of wave break initiation in cardiac tissue that occurs for gentle slopes of the restitution characteristics. This mechanism involves the creation of conduction blocks through a combination of wavefront-waveback interaction, reshaping of the wave profile and heterogeneous recovery from the excitation of the spatially extended medium, leading to the creation of re-excitable windows for sustained re-entry. This finding is an important contribution to cardiac arrhythmia research as it identifies scenarios in which low-energy perturbations to cardiac rhythm can be potentially life-threatening.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sayedeh Hussaini
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vladimir S Zykov
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Luther
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eberhard Bodenschatz
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Laboratory of Atomic and Solid-State Physics and Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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16
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Wang L, Myles RC, Lee IJ, Bers DM, Ripplinger CM. Role of Reduced Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca 2+-ATPase Function on Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca 2+ Alternans in the Intact Rabbit Heart. Front Physiol 2021; 12:656516. [PMID: 34045974 PMCID: PMC8144333 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.656516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ cycling is tightly regulated by ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ release and sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) Ca2+ uptake during each excitation–contraction coupling cycle. We previously showed that RyR refractoriness plays a key role in the onset of SR Ca2+ alternans in the intact rabbit heart, which contributes to arrhythmogenic action potential duration (APD) alternans. Recent studies have also implicated impaired SERCA function, a key feature of heart failure, in cardiac alternans and arrhythmias. However, the relationship between reduced SERCA function and SR Ca2+ alternans is not well understood. Simultaneous optical mapping of transmembrane potential (Vm) and SR Ca2+ was performed in isolated rabbit hearts (n = 10) using the voltage-sensitive dye RH237 and the low-affinity Ca2+ indicator Fluo-5N-AM. Alternans was induced by rapid ventricular pacing. SERCA was inhibited with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; 1–10 μM). SERCA inhibition (1, 5, and 10 μM of CPA) resulted in dose-dependent slowing of SR Ca2+ reuptake, with the time constant (tau) increasing from 70.8 ± 3.5 ms at baseline to 85.5 ± 6.6, 129.9 ± 20.7, and 271.3 ± 37.6 ms, respectively (p < 0.05 vs. baseline for all doses). At fast pacing frequencies, CPA significantly increased the magnitude of SR Ca2+ and APD alternans, most strongly at 10 μM (pacing cycle length = 220 ms: SR Ca2+ alternans magnitude: 57.1 ± 4.7 vs. 13.4 ± 8.9 AU; APD alternans magnitude 3.8 ± 1.9 vs. 0.2 ± 0.19 AU; p < 0.05 10 μM of CPA vs. baseline for both). SERCA inhibition also promoted the emergence of spatially discordant alternans. Notably, at all CPA doses, alternation of SR Ca2+ release occurred prior to alternation of diastolic SR Ca2+ load as pacing frequency increased. Simultaneous optical mapping of SR Ca2+ and Vm in the intact rabbit heart revealed that SERCA inhibition exacerbates pacing-induced SR Ca2+ and APD alternans magnitude, particularly at fast pacing frequencies. Importantly, SR Ca2+ release alternans always occurred before the onset of SR Ca2+ load alternans. These findings suggest that even in settings of diminished SERCA function, relative refractoriness of RyR Ca2+ release governs the onset of intracellular Ca2+ alternans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianguo Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Rachel C Myles
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - I-Ju Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Donald M Bers
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Crystal M Ripplinger
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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17
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You T, Luo C, Zhang K, Zhang H. Electrophysiological Mechanisms Underlying T-Wave Alternans and Their Role in Arrhythmogenesis. Front Physiol 2021; 12:614946. [PMID: 33746768 PMCID: PMC7969788 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.614946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
T-wave alternans (TWA) reflects every-other-beat alterations in the morphology of the electrocardiogram ST segment or T wave in the setting of a constant heart rate, hence, in the absence of heart rate variability. It is believed to be associated with the dispersion of repolarization and has been used as a non-invasive marker for predicting the risk of malignant cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death as numerous studies have shown. This review aims to provide up-to-date review on both experimental and simulation studies in elucidating possible mechanisms underlying the genesis of TWA at the cellular level, as well as the genesis of spatially concordant/discordant alternans at the tissue level, and their transition to cardiac arrhythmia. Recent progress and future perspectives in antiarrhythmic therapies associated with TWA are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting You
- Key Lab of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Cunjin Luo
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Zhang
- School of Medicine, Imperial College of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Henggui Zhang
- Key Lab of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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18
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Huang C, Song Z, Di Z, Qu Z. Stability of spatially discordant repolarization alternans in cardiac tissue. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2020; 30:123141. [PMID: 33380024 PMCID: PMC7928074 DOI: 10.1063/5.0029209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac alternans, a period-2 behavior of excitation and contraction of the heart, is a precursor of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. One form of alternans is repolarization or action potential duration alternans. In cardiac tissue, repolarization alternans can be spatially in-phase, called spatially concordant alternans, or spatially out-of-phase, called spatially discordant alternans (SDA). In SDA, the border between two out-of-phase regions is called a node in a one-dimensional cable or a nodal line in a two-dimensional tissue. In this study, we investigate the stability and dynamics of the nodes and nodal lines of repolarization alternans driven by voltage instabilities. We use amplitude equation and coupled map lattice models to derive theoretical results, which are compared with simulation results from the ionic model. Both conduction velocity restitution induced SDA and non-conduction velocity restitution induced SDA are investigated. We show that the stability and dynamics of the SDA nodes or nodal lines are determined by the balance of the tensions generated by conduction velocity restitution, convection due to action potential propagation, curvature of the nodal lines, and repolarization and coupling heterogeneities. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the different SDA behaviors observed in experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Zengru Di
- Department of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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19
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Liu T, Xiong F, Qi XY, Xiao J, Villeneuve L, Abu-Taha I, Dobrev D, Huang C, Nattel S. Altered calcium handling produces reentry-promoting action potential alternans in atrial fibrillation-remodeled hearts. JCI Insight 2020; 5:133754. [PMID: 32255765 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.133754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) alters atrial cardiomyocyte (ACM) Ca2+ handling, promoting ectopic beat formation. We examined the effects of AF-associated remodeling on Ca2+-related action potential dynamics and consequences for AF susceptibility. AF was maintained electrically in dogs by right atrial (RA) tachypacing. ACMs isolated from AF dogs showed increased Ca2+ release refractoriness, spontaneous Ca2+ spark frequency, and cycle length (CL) threshold for Ca2+ and action potential duration (APD) alternans versus controls. AF increased the in situ CL threshold for Ca2+/APD alternans and spatial dispersion in Ca2+ release recovery kinetics, leading to spatially discordant alternans associated with reentrant rotor formation and susceptibility to AF induction/maintenance. The clinically available agent dantrolene reduced Ca2+ leak and CL threshold for Ca2+/APD alternans in ACMs and AF dog right atrium, while suppressing AF susceptibility; caffeine increased Ca2+ leak and CL threshold for Ca2+/APD alternans in control dog ACMs and RA tissues. In vivo, the atrial repolarization alternans CL threshold was increased in AF versus control, as was AF vulnerability. Intravenous dantrolene restored repolarization alternans threshold and reduced AF vulnerability. Immunoblots showed reduced expression of total and phosphorylated ryanodine receptors and calsequestrin in AF and unchanged phospholamban/SERCA expression. Thus, along with promoting spontaneous ectopy, AF-induced Ca2+ handling abnormalities favor AF by enhancing vulnerability to repolarization alternans, promoting initiation and maintenance of reentrant activity; dantrolene provides a lead molecule to target this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- Montreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Xiong
- Montreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Xiao-Yan Qi
- Montreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jiening Xiao
- Montreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Louis Villeneuve
- Montreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Issam Abu-Taha
- Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Dobromir Dobrev
- Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Congxin Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Stanley Nattel
- Montreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany.,IHU LIRYC Institute, Fondation Bordeaux Université, Bordeaux, France
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20
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Huang C, Song Z, Landaw J, Qu Z. Spatially Discordant Repolarization Alternans in the Absence of Conduction Velocity Restitution. Biophys J 2020; 118:2574-2587. [PMID: 32101718 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatially discordant alternans (SDA) of action potential duration (APD) has been widely observed in cardiac tissue and is linked to cardiac arrhythmogenesis. Theoretical studies have shown that conduction velocity restitution (CVR) is required for the formation of SDA. However, this theory is not completely supported by experiments, indicating that other mechanisms may exist. In this study, we carried out computer simulations using mathematical models of action potentials to investigate the mechanisms of SDA in cardiac tissue. We show that when CVR is present and engaged, such as fast pacing from one side of the tissue, the spatial pattern of APD in the tissue undergoes either spatially concordant alternans or SDA, independent of initial conditions or tissue heterogeneities. When CVR is not engaged, such as simultaneous pacing of the whole tissue or under normal/slow heart rates, the spatial pattern of APD in the tissue can have multiple solutions, including spatially concordant alternans and different SDA patterns, depending on heterogeneous initial conditions or pre-existing repolarization heterogeneities. In homogeneous tissue, curved nodal lines are not stable, which either evolve into straight lines or disappear. However, in heterogeneous itssue, curved nodal lines can be stable, depending on their initial locations and shapes relative to the structure of the heterogeneity. Therefore, CVR-induced SDA and non-CVR-induced SDA exhibit different dynamical properties, which may be responsible for the different SDA properties observed in experimental studies and arrhythmogenesis in different clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunli Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Julian Landaw
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Department of Computational Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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21
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Kim TY, Jeng P, Hwang J, Pfeiffer Z, Patel D, Cooper LL, Kossidas K, Centracchio J, Peng X, Koren G, Qu Z, Choi BR. Short-Long Heart Rate Variation Increases Dispersion of Action Potential Duration in Long QT Type 2 Transgenic Rabbit Model. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14849. [PMID: 31619700 PMCID: PMC6795902 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51230-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The initiation of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) has been associated with a characteristic ECG pattern of short-long RR intervals. We hypothesize that this characteristic pattern increases APD dispersion in LQT2, thereby promoting arrhythmia. We investigated APD dispersion and its dependence on two previous cycle lengths (CLs) in transgenic rabbit models of LQT2, LQT1, and their littermate controls (LMC) using random stimulation protocols. The results show that the short-long RR pattern was associated with a larger APD dispersion in LQT2 but not in LQT1 rabbits. The multivariate analyses of APD as a function of two previous CLs (APDn = C + α1CLn−1 + α2CLn−2) showed that α1 (APD restitution slope) is largest and heterogeneous in LQT2 but uniform in LQT1, enhancing APD dispersion under long CLn−1 in LQT2. The α2 (short-term memory) was negative in LQT2 while positive in LQT1, and the spatial pattern of α1 was inversely correlated to α2 in LQT2, which explains why a short-long combination causes a larger APD dispersion in LQT2 but not in LQT1 rabbits. In conclusion, short-long RR pattern increased APD dispersion only in LQT2 rabbits through heterogeneous APD restitution and the short-term memory, underscoring the genotype-specific triggering of arrhythmias in LQT syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Yun Kim
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Paul Jeng
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - JungMin Hwang
- College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Zachary Pfeiffer
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Divyang Patel
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Leroy L Cooper
- Biology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
| | - Konstantinos Kossidas
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jason Centracchio
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Xuwen Peng
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bum-Rak Choi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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22
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Hernández-Romero I, Guillem MS, Figuera C, Atienza F, Fernández-Avilés F, M. Climent A. Optical imaging of voltage and calcium in isolated hearts: Linking spatiotemporal heterogeneities and ventricular fibrillation initiation. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215951. [PMID: 31086382 PMCID: PMC6516663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternans have been associated with the development of ventricular fibrillation and its control has been proposed as antiarrhythmic strategy. However, cardiac arrhythmias are a spatiotemporal phenomenon in which multiple factors are involved (e.g. calcium and voltage spatial alternans or heterogeneous conduction velocity) and how an antiarrhythmic drug modifies these factors is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study is to evaluate the relation between spatial electrophysiological properties (i.e. spatial discordant alternans and conduction velocity) and the induction of ventricular fibrillation (VF) when a calcium blocker is applied. METHODS The mechanisms of initiation of VF were studied by simultaneous epicardial voltage and calcium optical mapping in isolated rabbit hearts using an incremental fast pacing protocol. The additional value of analyzing spatial phenomena in the generation of unidirectional blocks and reentries as precursors of VF was depicted. Specifically, the role of action potential duration (APD), calcium transients (CaT), spatial alternans and conduction velocity in the initiation of VF was evaluated during basal conditions and after the administration of verapamil. RESULTS Our results enhance the relation between (1) calcium spatial alternans and (2) slow conduction velocities with the dynamic creation of unidirectional blocks that allowed the induction of VF. In fact, the administration of verapamil demonstrated that calcium and not voltage spatial alternans were the main responsible for VF induction. CONCLUSIONS VF induction at high activation rates was linked with the concurrence of a low conduction velocity and high magnitude of calcium alternans, but not necessarily related with increases of APD. Verapamil can postpone the development of cardiac alternans and the apparition of ventricular arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Hernández-Romero
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Figuera
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Felipe Atienza
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERCV, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Fernández-Avilés
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERCV, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreu M. Climent
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERCV, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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23
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Shiferaw Y, Aistrup GL, Wasserstrom JA. Synchronization of Triggered Waves in Atrial Tissue. Biophys J 2018; 115:1130-1141. [PMID: 30195941 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
When an atrial cell is paced rapidly, calcium (Ca) waves can form on the cell boundary and propagate to the cell interior. These waves are referred to as "triggered waves" because they are initiated by Ca influx from the L-type Ca channel and occur during the action potential. However, the consequences of triggered waves in atrial tissue are not known. Here, we develop a phenomenological model of Ca cycling in atrial myocytes that accounts for the formation of triggered waves. Using this model, we show that a fundamental requirement for triggered waves to induce abnormal electrical activity in tissue is that these waves must be synchronized over large populations of cells. This is partly because triggered waves induce a long action potential duration (APD) followed by a short APD. Thus, if these events are not synchronized between cells, then they will on average cancel and have minimal effects on the APD in tissue. Using our computational model, we identify two distinct mechanisms for triggered wave synchronization. The first relies on cycle length (CL) variability, which can prolong the CL at a given beat. In cardiac tissue, we show that CL prolongation leads to a substantial amplification of APD because of the synchronization of triggered waves. A second synchronization mechanism applies in a parameter regime in which the cell exhibits stochastic alternans in which a triggered wave fires, on average, only every other beat. In this scenario, we identify a slow synchronization mechanism that relies on the bidirectional feedback between the APD in tissue and triggered wave initiation. On large cables, this synchronization mechanism leads to spatially discordant APD alternans with spatial variations on a scale of hundreds of cells. We argue that these spatial patterns can potentially serve as an arrhythmogenic substrate for the initiation of atrial fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohannes Shiferaw
- Department of Physics, California State University, Northridge, California.
| | - Gary L Aistrup
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, Utica, New York
| | - John A Wasserstrom
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology) and The Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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24
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Liu W, Kim TY, Huang X, Liu MB, Koren G, Choi BR, Qu Z. Mechanisms linking T-wave alternans to spontaneous initiation of ventricular arrhythmias in rabbit models of long QT syndrome. J Physiol 2018; 596:1341-1355. [PMID: 29377142 DOI: 10.1113/jp275492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS T-wave alternans (TWA) and T-wave lability (TWL) are precursors of ventricular arrhythmias in long QT syndrome; however, the mechanistic link remains to be clarified. Computer simulations show that action potential duration (APD) prolongation and slowed heart rates promote APD alternans and chaos, manifesting as TWA and TWL, respectively. Regional APD alternans and chaos can exacerbate pre-existing or induce de novo APD dispersion, which combines with enhanced ICa,L to result in premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) originating from the APD gradient region. These PVCs can directly degenerate into re-entrant arrhythmias without the need for an additional tissue substrate or further exacerbate the APD dispersion to cause spontaneous initiation of ventricular arrhythmias. Experiments conducted in transgenic long QT rabbits show that PVC alternans occurs at slow heart rates, preceding spontaneous intuition of ventricular arrhythmias. ABSTRACT T-wave alternans (TWA) and irregular beat-to-beat T-wave variability or T-wave lability (TWL), the ECG manifestations of action potential duration (APD) alternans and variability, are precursors of ventricular arrhythmias in long QT syndromes. TWA and TWL in patients tend to occur at normal heart rates and are usually potentiated by bradycardia. Whether or how TWA and TWL at normal or slow heart rates are causally linked to arrhythmogenesis remains unknown. In the present study, we used computer simulations and experiments of a transgenic rabbit model of long QT syndrome to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Computer simulations showed that APD prolongation and slowed heart rates caused early afterdepolarization-mediated APD alternans and chaos, manifesting as TWA and TWL, respectively. Regional APD alternans and chaos exacerbated pre-existing APD dispersion and, in addition, APD chaos could also induce APD dispersion de novo via chaos desynchronization. Increased APD dispersion, combined with substantially enhanced ICa,L , resulted in a tissue-scale dynamical instability that gave rise to the spontaneous occurrence of unidirectionally propagating premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) originating from the APD gradient region. These PVCs could directly degenerate into re-entrant arrhythmias without the need for an additional tissue substrate or could block the following sinus beat to result in a longer RR interval, which further exacerbated the APD dispersion giving rise to the spontaneous occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. Slow heart rate-induced PVC alternans was observed in experiments of transgenic LQT2 rabbits under isoproterenol, which was associated with increased APD dispersion and spontaneous occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias, in agreement with the theoretical predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,School of Science, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
| | - Tae Yun Kim
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Physics, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Michael B Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Bum-Rak Choi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Biomathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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25
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Wilson D, Ermentrout B. Stochastic Pacing Inhibits Spatially Discordant Cardiac Alternans. Biophys J 2017; 113:2552-2572. [PMID: 29212008 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Depressed heart rate variability is a well-established risk factor for sudden cardiac death in survivors of acute myocardial infarction and for those with congestive heart failure. Although measurements of heart rate variability provide a valuable prognostic tool, it is unclear whether reduced heart rate variability itself is proarrhythmic or if it simply correlates with the severity of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. In this work, we investigate a possible mechanism by which heart rate variability could protect against cardiac arrhythmia. Specifically, in numerical simulations, we observe an inverse relationship between the variance of stochastic pacing and the occurrence of spatially discordant alternans, an arrhythmia that is widely believed to facilitate the development of cardiac fibrillation. By analyzing the effects of conduction velocity restitution, cellular dynamics, electrotonic coupling, and stochastic pacing on the nodal dynamics of spatially discordant alternans, we provide intuition for this observed behavior and propose control strategies to inhibit discordant alternans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wilson
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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26
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Gomes JM, Dos Santos RW, Cherry EM. Alternans promotion in cardiac electrophysiology models by delay differential equations. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2017; 27:093915. [PMID: 28964124 DOI: 10.1063/1.4999471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac electrical alternans is a state of alternation between long and short action potentials and is frequently associated with harmful cardiac conditions. Different dynamic mechanisms can give rise to alternans; however, many cardiac models based on ordinary differential equations are not able to reproduce this phenomenon. A previous study showed that alternans can be induced by the introduction of delay differential equations (DDEs) in the formulations of the ion channel gating variables of a canine myocyte model. The present work demonstrates that this technique is not model-specific by successfully promoting alternans using DDEs for five cardiac electrophysiology models that describe different types of myocytes, with varying degrees of complexity. By analyzing results across the different models, we observe two potential requirements for alternans promotion via DDEs for ionic gates: (i) the gate must have a significant influence on the action potential duration and (ii) a delay must significantly impair the gate's recovery between consecutive action potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny M Gomes
- Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-330, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Weber Dos Santos
- Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-330, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth M Cherry
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
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27
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Chou CC, Chang PC, Wei YC, Lee KY. Optical Mapping Approaches on Muscleblind-Like Compound Knockout Mice for Understanding Mechanistic Insights Into Ventricular Arrhythmias in Myotonic Dystrophy. J Am Heart Assoc 2017; 6:JAHA.116.005191. [PMID: 28416514 PMCID: PMC5533016 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.116.005191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Background Cardiac arrhythmias are common causes of death in patients with myotonic dystrophy (dystrophia myotonica [DM]). Evidence shows that atrial tachyarrhythmia is an independent risk factor for sudden death; however, the relationship is unclear. Methods and Results Control wild‐type (Mbnl1+/+; Mbnl2+/+) and DM mutant (Mbnl1−/−; Mbnl2+/−) mice were generated by crossing double heterozygous knockout (Mbnl1+/−; Mbnl2+/−) mice. In vivo electrophysiological study and optical mapping technique were performed to investigate mechanisms of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Transmission electron microscopy scanning was performed for myocardium ultrastructural analysis. DM mutant mice were more vulnerable to anesthesia medications and program electrical pacing: 2 of 12 mice had sudden apnea and cardiac arrest during premedication of general anesthesia; 9 of the remaining 10 had atrial tachycardia and/or atrioventricular block, but none of the wild‐type mice had spontaneous arrhythmias; and 9 of 10 mice had pacing‐induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias, but only 1 of 14 of the wild‐type mice. Optical mapping studies revealed prolonged action potential duration, slower conduction velocity, and steeper conduction velocity restitution curves in the DM mutant mice than in the wild‐type group. Spatially discordant alternans was more easily inducible in DM mutant than wild‐type mice. Transmission electron microscopy showed disarranged myofibrils with enlarged vacuole‐occupying mitochondria in the DM mutant group. Conclusions This DM mutant mouse model presented with clinical myofibril ultrastructural abnormality and cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial tachyarrhythmias, atrioventricular block, and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Optical mapping studies revealed prolonged action potential duration and slow conduction velocity in the DM mice, leading to vulnerability of spatially discordant alternans and ventricular arrhythmia induction to pacing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Chuan Chou
- Department of Cardiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Cheng Chang
- Department of Cardiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chia Wei
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Kuang-Yung Lee
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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28
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Kennedy M, Bers DM, Chiamvimonvat N, Sato D. Dynamical effects of calcium-sensitive potassium currents on voltage and calcium alternans. J Physiol 2017; 595:2285-2297. [PMID: 27902841 DOI: 10.1113/jp273626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS A mathematical model of a small conductance Ca2+ -activated potassium (SK) channel was developed and incorporated into a physiologically detailed ventricular myocyte model. Ca2+ -sensitive K+ currents promote negative intracellular Ca2+ to membrane voltage (CAi2+ → Vm ) coupling. Increase of Ca2+ -sensitive K+ currents can be responsible for electromechanically discordant alternans and quasiperiodic oscillations at the cellular level. At the tissue level, Turing-type instability can occur when Ca2+ -sensitive K+ currents are increased. ABSTRACT Cardiac alternans is a precursor to life-threatening arrhythmias. Alternans can be caused by instability of the membrane voltage (Vm ), instability of the intracellular Ca2+ ( Ca i2+) cycling, or both. Vm dynamics and Ca i2+ dynamics are coupled via Ca2+ -sensitive currents. In cardiac myocytes, there are several Ca2+ -sensitive potassium (K+ ) currents such as the slowly activating delayed rectifier current (IKs ) and the small conductance Ca2+ -activated potassium (SK) current (ISK ). However, the role of these currents in the development of arrhythmias is not well understood. In this study, we investigated how these currents affect voltage and Ca2+ alternans using a physiologically detailed computational model of the ventricular myocyte and mathematical analysis. We define the coupling between Vm and Ca i2+ cycling dynamics ( Ca i2+→Vm coupling) as positive (negative) when a larger Ca2+ transient at a given beat prolongs (shortens) the action potential duration (APD) of that beat. While positive coupling predominates at baseline, increasing IKs and ISK promote negative Ca i2+→Vm coupling at the cellular level. Specifically, when alternans is Ca2+ -driven, electromechanically (APD-Ca2+ ) concordant alternans becomes electromechanically discordant alternans as IKs or ISK increase. These cellular level dynamics lead to different types of spatially discordant alternans in tissue. These findings help to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of cardiac alternans especially when the relative strength of these currents becomes larger under pathological conditions or drug administrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kennedy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Donald M Bers
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nipavan Chiamvimonvat
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CA, USA
| | - Daisuke Sato
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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29
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Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias can follow disruption of the normal cellular electrophysiological processes underlying excitable activity and their tissue propagation as coherent wavefronts from the primary sinoatrial node pacemaker, through the atria, conducting structures and ventricular myocardium. These physiological events are driven by interacting, voltage-dependent, processes of activation, inactivation, and recovery in the ion channels present in cardiomyocyte membranes. Generation and conduction of these events are further modulated by intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and metabolic and structural change. This review describes experimental studies on murine models for known clinical arrhythmic conditions in which these mechanisms were modified by genetic, physiological, or pharmacological manipulation. These exemplars yielded molecular, physiological, and structural phenotypes often directly translatable to their corresponding clinical conditions, which could be investigated at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and whole animal levels. Arrhythmogenesis could be explored during normal pacing activity, regular stimulation, following imposed extra-stimuli, or during progressively incremented steady pacing frequencies. Arrhythmic substrate was identified with temporal and spatial functional heterogeneities predisposing to reentrant excitation phenomena. These could arise from abnormalities in cardiac pacing function, tissue electrical connectivity, and cellular excitation and recovery. Triggering events during or following recovery from action potential excitation could thereby lead to sustained arrhythmia. These surface membrane processes were modified by alterations in cellular Ca2+ homeostasis and energetics, as well as cellular and tissue structural change. Study of murine systems thus offers major insights into both our understanding of normal cardiac activity and its propagation, and their relationship to mechanisms generating clinical arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L-H Huang
- Physiological Laboratory and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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30
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Bayer JD, Lalani GG, Vigmond EJ, Narayan SM, Trayanova NA. Mechanisms linking electrical alternans and clinical ventricular arrhythmia in human heart failure. Heart Rhythm 2016; 13:1922-31. [PMID: 27215536 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2016.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mechanisms of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients with heart failure (HF) are undefined. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to elucidate VT/VF mechanisms in HF by using a computational-clinical approach. METHODS In 53 patients with HF and 18 control patients, we established the relationship between low-amplitude action potential voltage alternans (APV-ALT) during ventricular pacing at near-resting heart rates and VT/VF on long-term follow-up. Mechanisms underlying the transition of APV-ALT to VT/VF, which cannot be ascertained in patients, were dissected with multiscale human ventricular models based on human electrophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging data (control and HF). RESULTS For patients with APV-ALT k-score >1.7, complex action potential duration (APD) oscillations (≥2.3% of mean APD), rather than APD alternans, most accurately predicted VT/VF during long-term follow-up (+82%; -90% predictive values). In the failing human ventricular models, abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium handling caused APV-ALT (>1 mV) during pacing with a cycle length of 550 ms, which transitioned into large magnitude (>100 ms) discordant repolarization time alternans (RT-ALT) at faster rates. This initiated VT/VF (cycle length <400 ms) by steepening apicobasal repolarization (189 ms/mm) until unidirectional conduction block and reentry. Complex APD oscillations resulted from nonstationary discordant RT-ALT. Restoring SR calcium to control levels was antiarrhythmic by terminating electrical alternans. CONCLUSION APV-ALT and complex APD oscillations at near-resting heart rates in patients with HF are linked to arrhythmogenic discordant RT-ALT. This may enable novel physiologically tailored, bioengineered indices to improve VT/VF risk stratification, where SR calcium handling and spatial apicobasal repolarization are potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Bayer
- Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute (LIRYC), Bordeaux University Foundation, Bordeaux, France; Institute of Mathematics of Bordeaux (U5251), University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - G G Lalani
- Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, California
| | - E J Vigmond
- Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute (LIRYC), Bordeaux University Foundation, Bordeaux, France; Institute of Mathematics of Bordeaux (U5251), University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - N A Trayanova
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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31
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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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32
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Guevara MR, Shrier A, Orlowski J, Glass L. George Ralph Mines (1886-1914): the dawn of cardiac nonlinear dynamics. J Physiol 2016; 594:2361-71. [PMID: 27126414 DOI: 10.1113/jp270891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Guevara
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alvin Shrier
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - John Orlowski
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Leon Glass
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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33
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Majumder R, Engels MC, de Vries AAF, Panfilov AV, Pijnappels DA. Islands of spatially discordant APD alternans underlie arrhythmogenesis by promoting electrotonic dyssynchrony in models of fibrotic rat ventricular myocardium. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24334. [PMID: 27072041 PMCID: PMC4829862 DOI: 10.1038/srep24334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis and altered gap junctional coupling are key features of ventricular remodelling and are associated with abnormal electrical impulse generation and propagation. Such abnormalities predispose to reentrant electrical activity in the heart. In the absence of tissue heterogeneity, high-frequency impulse generation can also induce dynamic electrical instabilities leading to reentrant arrhythmias. However, because of the complexity and stochastic nature of such arrhythmias, the combined effects of tissue heterogeneity and dynamical instabilities in these arrhythmias have not been explored in detail. Here, arrhythmogenesis was studied using in vitro and in silico monolayer models of neonatal rat ventricular tissue with 30% randomly distributed cardiac myofibroblasts and systematically lowered intercellular coupling achieved in vitro through graded knockdown of connexin43 expression. Arrhythmia incidence and complexity increased with decreasing intercellular coupling efficiency. This coincided with the onset of a specialized type of spatially discordant action potential duration alternans characterized by island-like areas of opposite alternans phase, which positively correlated with the degree of connexinx43 knockdown and arrhythmia complexity. At higher myofibroblast densities, more of these islands were formed and reentrant arrhythmias were more easily induced. This is the first study exploring the combinatorial effects of myocardial fibrosis and dynamic electrical instabilities on reentrant arrhythmia initiation and complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupamanjari Majumder
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Heart Lung Centre Leiden, Leiden University Medical Enter, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marc C. Engels
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Heart Lung Centre Leiden, Leiden University Medical Enter, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Antoine A. F. de Vries
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Heart Lung Centre Leiden, Leiden University Medical Enter, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Daniël A. Pijnappels
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Heart Lung Centre Leiden, Leiden University Medical Enter, Leiden, the Netherlands
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34
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Maturing human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in human engineered cardiac tissues. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 96:110-34. [PMID: 25956564 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Engineering functional human cardiac tissue that mimics the native adult morphological and functional phenotype has been a long held objective. In the last 5 years, the field of cardiac tissue engineering has transitioned from cardiac tissues derived from various animal species to the production of the first generation of human engineered cardiac tissues (hECTs), due to recent advances in human stem cell biology. Despite this progress, the hECTs generated to date remain immature relative to the native adult myocardium. In this review, we focus on the maturation challenge in the context of hECTs, the present state of the art, and future perspectives in terms of regenerative medicine, drug discovery, preclinical safety testing and pathophysiological studies.
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Gap junction modifier rotigaptide decreases the susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmia by enhancing conduction velocity and suppressing discordant alternans during therapeutic hypothermia in isolated rabbit hearts. Heart Rhythm 2016; 13:251-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2015.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Chiu S, Tsai C, Lin L, Huang S, Chen Y, Wang J, Wu M, Lai L, Lin J. Repolarization Alternans and Ventricular Arrhythmia in a Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot Animal Model. J Am Heart Assoc 2015; 4:e002173. [PMID: 26656859 PMCID: PMC4845286 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.115.002173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ventricular arrhythmia is an important cause of late death in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). By using an rTOF canine model, we investigated the role of repolarization alternans and its electrophysiological mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS Six dogs received right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) transannular patch, pulmonary valve destruction, and right bundle branch ablation to simulate rTOF. After 1 year, we performed high-resolution dual-voltage and calcium optical mapping to record action potentials and calcium transients on the excised right ventricular outflow tract wedges. Another 6 dogs without operation served as control. The rTOF group was more susceptible to action potential duration alternans (APD-ALT) and spatially discordant APD-ALT than control (threshold for APD-ALT: 516±36 vs 343±36 ms; P=0.017; threshold for discordant APD-ALT: 387±30 vs 310±14 ms; P=0.046). We detected 2 episodes of ventricular tachycardia in the rTOF group, but none in the control. Expressions of Kv4.3 and KChIP2 decreased in the rTOF group. Expression of connexin 43 also decreased in the rTOF group with a corresponding decrease of conduction velocity and might contribute to spatially discordant APD-ALT. We also found distinct electrophysiological features of the RVOT, including biphasic relationship between magnitude of APD-ALT and pacing cycle length, uncoupling of APD-ALT, and calcium transients alternans, and shortened APD, but unchanged, APD restitution in rTOF. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated novel electrophysiological properties of the RVOT. In an rTOF model, the RVOT exhibits increased susceptibility to temporal and spatially discordant APD-ALT, which was not totally dependent on calcium transient alternans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuenn‐Nan Chiu
- Department of PediatricsNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chia‐Ti Tsai
- Department of MedicineNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Lian‐Yu Lin
- Department of MedicineNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shu‐Chien Huang
- Department of SurgeryNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yih‐Sharng Chen
- Department of SurgeryNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Jou‐Kou Wang
- Department of PediatricsNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Mei‐Hwan Wu
- Department of PediatricsNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Ling‐Ping Lai
- Department of MedicineNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Jiunn‐Lee Lin
- Department of MedicineNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
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Chan YH, Tsai WC, Ko JS, Yin D, Chang PC, Rubart M, Weiss JN, Everett TH, Lin SF, Chen PS. Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Current Is Activated During Hypokalemia and Masks Short-Term Cardiac Memory Induced by Ventricular Pacing. Circulation 2015; 132:1377-86. [PMID: 26362634 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.114.015125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypokalemia increases the vulnerability to ventricular fibrillation. We hypothesize that the apamin-sensitive small-conductance calcium-activated potassium current (IKAS) is activated during hypokalemia and that IKAS blockade is proarrhythmic. METHODS AND RESULTS Optical mapping was performed in 23 Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles with atrioventricular block and either right or left ventricular pacing during normokalemia or hypokalemia. Apamin prolonged the action potential duration (APD) measured to 80% repolarization (APD80) by 26 milliseconds (95% confidence interval [CI], 14-37) during normokalemia and by 54 milliseconds (95% CI, 40-68) during hypokalemia (P=0.01) at a 1000-millisecond pacing cycle length. In hypokalemic ventricles, apamin increased the maximal slope of APD restitution, the pacing cycle length threshold of APD alternans, the pacing cycle length for wave-break induction, and the area of spatially discordant APD alternans. Apamin significantly facilitated the induction of sustained ventricular fibrillation (from 3 of 9 hearts to 9 of 9 hearts; P=0.009). Short-term cardiac memory was assessed by the slope of APD80 versus activation time. The slope increased from 0.01 (95% CI, -0.09 to 0.12) at baseline to 0.34 (95% CI, 0.23-0.44) after apamin (P<0.001) during right ventricular pacing and from 0.07 (95% CI, -0.05 to 0.20) to 0.54 (95% CI, 0.06-1.03) after apamin infusion (P=0.045) during left ventricular pacing. Patch-clamp studies confirmed increased IKAS in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes during hypokalemia (P=0.038). CONCLUSIONS Hypokalemia activates IKAS to shorten APD and maintain repolarization reserve at late activation sites during ventricular pacing. IKAS blockade prominently lengthens the APD at late activation sites and facilitates ventricular fibrillation induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hsin Chan
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Wei-Chung Tsai
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Jum-Suk Ko
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Dechun Yin
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Po-Cheng Chang
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Michael Rubart
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - James N Weiss
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Thomas H Everett
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Shien-Fong Lin
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.)
| | - Peng-Sheng Chen
- From Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine (Y.-H.C., W.-C.T., P.-C.C., T.H.E., S.-F.L., P.-S.C.) and Wells Center for Pediatrics Research, Department of Pediatrics (M.R.), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Y.-H.C., P.-C.C.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung University College of Medicine, Taiwan (W.-C.T.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Hospital, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea (J.-S.K.); Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, China (D.Y.); Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles (J.N.W.); and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan (S.-F.L.).
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Abstract
Despite improvements in the therapy of underlying heart disease, sudden cardiac death is a major cause of death worldwide. Disturbed Na and Ca handling is known to be a major predisposing factor for life-threatening tachyarrhythmias. In cardiomyocytes, many ion channels and transporters, including voltage-gated Na and Ca channels, cardiac ryanodine receptors, Na/Ca-exchanger, and SR Ca-ATPase are involved in this regulation. We have learned a lot about the pathophysiological relevance of disturbed ion channel function from monogenetic disorders. Changes in the gating of a single ion channel and the activity of an ion pump suffice to dramatically increase the propensity for arrhythmias even in structurally normal hearts. Nevertheless, patients with heart failure with acquired dysfunction in many ion channels and transporters exhibit profound dysregulation of Na and Ca handling and Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and are especially prone to arrhythmias. A deeper understanding of the underlying arrhythmic principles is mandatory if we are to improve their outcome. This review addresses basic tachyarrhythmic mechanisms, the underlying ionic mechanisms and the consequences for ion homeostasis, and the situation in complex diseases like heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Wagner
- From the Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (S.W., L.S.M.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA (D.M.B.)
| | - Lars S Maier
- From the Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (S.W., L.S.M.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA (D.M.B.).
| | - Donald M Bers
- From the Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (S.W., L.S.M.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA (D.M.B.)
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Lau E, Kossidas K, Kim TY, Kunitomo Y, Ziv O, Zhen S, Taylor C, Schofield L, Yammine J, Liu G, Peng X, Qu Z, Koren G, Choi BR. Spatially Discordant Alternans and Arrhythmias in Tachypacing-Induced Cardiac Myopathy in Transgenic LQT1 Rabbits: The Importance of IKs and Ca2+ Cycling. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122754. [PMID: 25970695 PMCID: PMC4430457 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remodeling of cardiac repolarizing currents, such as the downregulation of slowly activating K+ channels (IKs), could underlie ventricular fibrillation (VF) in heart failure (HF). We evaluated the role of Iks remodeling in VF susceptibility using a tachypacing HF model of transgenic rabbits with Long QT Type 1 (LQT1) syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS LQT1 and littermate control (LMC) rabbits underwent three weeks of tachypacing to induce cardiac myopathy (TICM). In vivo telemetry demonstrated steepening of the QT/RR slope in LQT1 with TICM (LQT1-TICM; pre: 0.26±0.04, post: 0.52±0.01, P<0.05). In vivo electrophysiology showed that LQT1-TICM had higher incidence of VF than LMC-TICM (6 of 11 vs. 3 of 11, respectively). Optical mapping revealed larger APD dispersion (16±4 vs. 38±6 ms, p<0.05) and steep APD restitution in LQT1-TICM compared to LQT1-sham (0.53±0.12 vs. 1.17±0.13, p<0.05). LQT1-TICM developed spatially discordant alternans (DA), which caused conduction block and higher-frequency VF (15±1 Hz in LQT1-TICM vs. 13±1 Hz in LMC-TICM, p<0.05). Ca2+ DA was highly dynamic and preceded voltage DA in LQT1-TICM. Ryanodine abolished DA in 5 out of 8 LQT1-TICM rabbits, demonstrating the importance of Ca2+ in complex DA formation. Computer simulations suggested that HF remodeling caused Ca2+-driven alternans, which was further potentiated in LQT1-TICM due to the lack of IKs. CONCLUSIONS Compared with LMC-TICM, LQT1-TICM rabbits exhibit steepened APD restitution and complex DA modulated by Ca2+. Our results strongly support the contention that the downregulation of IKs in HF increases Ca2+ dependent alternans and thereby the risk of VF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Lau
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Konstantinos Kossidas
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Tae Yun Kim
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Yukiko Kunitomo
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Ohad Ziv
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Song Zhen
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Chantel Taylor
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Lorraine Schofield
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Joe Yammine
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Gongxin Liu
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Xuwen Peng
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Gideon Koren
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Bum-Rak Choi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Edwards JN, Blatter LA. Cardiac alternans and intracellular calcium cycling. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2015; 41:524-32. [PMID: 25040398 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.12231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac alternans refers to a condition in which there is a periodic beat-to-beat oscillation in electrical activity and the strength of cardiac muscle contraction at a constant heart rate. Clinically, cardiac alternans occurs in settings that are typical for cardiac arrhythmias and has been causally linked to these conditions. At the cellular level, alternans is defined as beat-to-beat alternations in contraction amplitude (mechanical alternans), action potential duration (APD; electrical or APD alternans) and Ca(2+) transient amplitude (Ca(2+) alternans). The cause of alternans is multifactorial; however, alternans always originate from disturbances of the bidirectional coupling between membrane voltage (Vm ) and intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+) ]i ). Bidirectional coupling refers to the fact that, in cardiac cells, Vm depolarization and the generation of action potentials cause the elevation of [Ca(2+) ]i that is required for contraction (a process referred to as excitation-contraction coupling); conversely, changes of [Ca(2+) ]i control Vm because important membrane currents are Ca(2+) dependent. Evidence is mounting that alternans is ultimately caused by disturbances of cellular Ca(2+) signalling. Herein we review how two key factors of cardiac cellular Ca(2+) cycling, namely the release of Ca(2+) from internal stores and the capability of clearing the cytosol from Ca(2+) after each beat, determine the conditions under which alternans occurs. The contributions from key Ca(2+) -handling proteins (i.e. surface membrane channels, ion pumps and transporters and internal Ca(2+) release channels) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua N Edwards
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Skardal PS, Restrepo JG. Coexisting chaotic and multi-periodic dynamics in a model of cardiac alternans. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2014; 24:043126. [PMID: 25554046 DOI: 10.1063/1.4901728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal dynamics of cardiac tissue is an active area of research for biologists, physicists, and mathematicians. Of particular interest is the study of period-doubling bifurcations and chaos due to their link with cardiac arrhythmogenesis. In this paper, we study the spatiotemporal dynamics of a recently developed model for calcium-driven alternans in a one dimensional cable of tissue. In particular, we observe in the cable coexistence of regions with chaotic and multi-periodic dynamics over wide ranges of parameters. We study these dynamics using global and local Lyapunov exponents and spatial trajectory correlations. Interestingly, near nodes-or phase reversals-low-periodic dynamics prevail, while away from the nodes, the dynamics tend to be higher-periodic and eventually chaotic. Finally, we show that similar coexisting multi-periodic and chaotic dynamics can also be observed in a detailed ionic model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Sebastian Skardal
- Departament d'Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan G Restrepo
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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The role of short term memory and conduction velocity restitution in alternans formation. J Theor Biol 2014; 367:21-28. [PMID: 25435411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Alternans is the periodic beat-to-beat short-long alternation in action potential duration (APD), which is considered to be a precursor of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. In extended cardiac tissue, electrical alternans can be either spatially concordant (SCA, all cells oscillate in phase) or spatially discordant (SDA, cells in different regions oscillate out of phase). SDA gives rise to an increase in the spatial dispersion of repolarization, which is thought to be proarrhythmic. In this paper, we investigated the effect of two aspects of short term memory (STM) (α, τ) and their interplay with conduction velocity (CV) restitution on alternans formation using numerical simulations of a mapping model with two beats of memory. Here, α quantifies the dependence of APD restitution on pacing history and τ characterizes APD accommodation, which is an exponential change of APD over time once basic cycle length (BCL) changes. Our main findings are as follows: In both single cell and spatially coupled homogeneous cable, the interplay between α and τ affects the dynamical behaviors of the system. For the case of large APD accommodation (τ ≥ 290 ms), increase in α leads to suppression of alternans. However, if APD accommodation is small (τ ≤ 250 ms), increase in α leads to appearance of additional alternans region. On the other hand, the slope of CV restitution does not change the regions of alternans in the cable. However, steep CV restitution leads to more complicated dynamical behaviors of the system. Specifically, SDA instead of SCA are observed. In addition, for steep CV restitution and sufficiently large τ, we observed formations of type II conduction block (CB2), transition from type I conduction block (CB1) to CB2, and unstable nodes.
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Qu Z, Weiss JN. Mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias: from molecular fluctuations to electrical turbulence. Annu Rev Physiol 2014; 77:29-55. [PMID: 25340965 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-021014-071622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Ventricular arrhythmias have complex causes and mechanisms. Despite extensive investigation involving many clinical, experimental, and computational studies, effective biological therapeutics are still very limited. In this article, we review our current understanding of the mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias by summarizing the state of knowledge spanning from the molecular scale to electrical wave behavior at the tissue and organ scales and how the complex nonlinear interactions integrate into the dynamics of arrhythmias in the heart. We discuss the challenges that we face in synthesizing these dynamics to develop safe and effective novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Departments of 1Medicine (Cardiology) and
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Abstract
In a normal human life span, the heart beats about 2 to 3 billion times. Under diseased conditions, a heart may lose its normal rhythm and degenerate suddenly into much faster and irregular rhythms, called arrhythmias, which may lead to sudden death. The transition from a normal rhythm to an arrhythmia is a transition from regular electrical wave conduction to irregular or turbulent wave conduction in the heart, and thus this medical problem is also a problem of physics and mathematics. In the last century, clinical, experimental, and theoretical studies have shown that dynamical theories play fundamental roles in understanding the mechanisms of the genesis of the normal heart rhythm as well as lethal arrhythmias. In this article, we summarize in detail the nonlinear and stochastic dynamics occurring in the heart and their links to normal cardiac functions and arrhythmias, providing a holistic view through integrating dynamics from the molecular (microscopic) scale, to the organelle (mesoscopic) scale, to the cellular, tissue, and organ (macroscopic) scales. We discuss what existing problems and challenges are waiting to be solved and how multi-scale mathematical modeling and nonlinear dynamics may be helpful for solving these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Qu
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Correspondence to: Zhilin Qu, PhD, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, A2-237 CHS, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Tel: 310-794-6050, Fax: 310-206-9133,
| | - Gang Hu
- Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Alan Garfinkel
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - James N. Weiss
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Hsieh YC, Lin SF, Huang JL, Hung CY, Lin JC, Liao YC, Lo CP, Wang KY, Wu TJ. Moderate Hypothermia (33 °C) Decreases the Susceptibility to Pacing-Induced Ventricular Fibrillation Compared with Severe Hypothermia (30 °C) by Attenuating Spatially Discordant Alternans in Isolated Rabbit Hearts. ACTA CARDIOLOGICA SINICA 2014; 30:455-465. [PMID: 27122819 PMCID: PMC4834958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe hypothermia (SH, 30 °C) increases the risk of pacing-induced ventricular fibrillation (PIVF) by enhancing spatially discordant alternans (SDA). Whether moderate hypothermia (MH, 33 °C), which is clinically used for therapeutic hypothermia, also facilitates SDA remains unclear. We hypothesized that MH attenuates SDA occurrence compared with that achieved by SH, and decreases the susceptibility of PIVF. METHODS Using an optical mapping system, action potential duration (APD)/conduction velocity restitutions and thresholds of APD alternans were determined by S1 pacing in Langendorff-perfused isolated rabbit hearts. In the MH group (n = 7), S1 pacing was performed at baseline (37 °C), after 5-min MH, and after 5-min rewarming (37 °C). In the SH group (n = 9), pacing was also performed at baseline (37 °C), after 5-min SH, and after 5-min rewarming (37 °C). The thresholds of APD alternans were defined as the longest S1 pacing cycle length at which APD alternans were detected. RESULTS Although the thresholds of APD alternans were not different between the MH (273 ± 46 ms) and the SH (300 ± 35 ms) (p = 0.281) groups, SDA threshold was shorter (at a faster heart rate) during MH (228 ± 33 ms) than that during SH (289 ± 42 ms) (p = 0.028). At APD alternans threshold, SH hearts showed more SDA than that during MH (SH: 7 hearts, MH: 2 hearts, p = 0.049). SDA could be induced in all 9 SH hearts (100%), while only 4 MH hearts (57%) had SDA (p = 0.029). The PIVF inducibility during SH (44 ± 53%) was higher than that during MH (0%) (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS Compared with SH, the MH group showed greater attenuation of SDA and decreased the susceptibility of PIVF. Therefore, MH is safer as a procedural guideline for use in clinical therapeutic hypothermia than SH. KEY WORDS Cardiac alternans; Conduction velocity; Hypothermia; Optical mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Cheng Hsieh
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
- Department of Financial and Computational Mathematics, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shien-Fong Lin
- Krannert Institute of Cardiology and the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Long Huang
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
| | - Chen-Ying Hung
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
| | - Jiunn-Cherng Lin
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
| | - Ying-Chieh Liao
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
| | - Chu-Pin Lo
- Department of Financial and Computational Mathematics, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Yang Wang
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
| | - Tsu-Juey Wu
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, and Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei
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Kong W, Fast VG. The role of dye affinity in optical measurements of Cai(2+) transients in cardiac muscle. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2014; 307:H73-9. [PMID: 24791783 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00751.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous experiments in cultures of neonatal rat myocytes demonstrated that the shape of Cai(2+) transients measured using high-affinity Ca(2+)-sensitive dyes may be misrepresented. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of dye affinity in Cai(2+) measurements in intact adult cardiac tissue by comparing optical recordings obtained with high- and low-affinity dyes. Experiments were carried out in porcine left ventricular (LV) wedge preparations stained locally by intramural injection via microcapillaries (diameter = 150 μm) with a low-affinity Ca(2+)-sensitive dye Fluo-4FF or Fluo-2LA (nominal Kd, ~7-10 μmol/l), high-affinity dye Rhod-2 (Kd = 0.57 μmol/l), and Fluo-4 or Fluo-2MA (Kd, ~0.4 μmol/l); in addition, tissue was stained with transmembrane potential (Vm)-sensitive dye RH-237. Optical recordings of Vm and Cai(2+) were made using optical fibers (diameter = 325 μm) glued with the microcapillaries. The durations of Cai(2+) transients measured at 50% level of recovery (CaD50) using high-affinity Fluo-4/Fluo-2MA dyes were up to ~81% longer than those measured with low-affinity Fluo-4FF/Fluo-2LA at long pacing cycle lengths (CL). In Fluo-4/Fluo-2MA measurements at long CLs, Cai(2+) transients often (~50% of cases) exhibited slow upstroke rise and extended plateau. In Rhod-2 measurements, CaD50 was moderately longer (up to ~35%) than in Fluo-4FF recordings, but Cai(2+) transient shapes were similar. In all series of measurements, mean action potential duration values were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The delays between Vm and Cai(2+) upstrokes were comparable for low- and high-affinity dyes (P > 0.05). In conclusion, measurements of Cai(2+) transient in ventricular myocardium are strongly affected by the affinity of Ca(2+) dyes. The high-affinity dyes may overestimate the duration and alter the shape of Cai(2+) transients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Kong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Vladimir G Fast
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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Skardal PS, Karma A, Restrepo JG. Spatiotemporal dynamics of calcium-driven cardiac alternans. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 89:052707. [PMID: 25353829 PMCID: PMC4404323 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.89.052707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the dynamics of spatially discordant alternans (SDA) driven by an instability of intracellular calcium cycling using both amplitude equations [P. S. Skardal, A. Karma, and J. G. Restrepo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 108103 (2012)] and ionic model simulations. We focus on the common case where the bidirectional coupling of intracellular calcium concentration and membrane voltage dynamics produces calcium and voltage alternans that are temporally in phase. We find that, close to the alternans bifurcation, SDA is manifested as a smooth wavy modulation of the amplitudes of both repolarization and calcium transient (CaT) alternans, similarly to the well-studied case of voltage-driven alternans. In contrast, further away from the bifurcation, the amplitude of CaT alternans jumps discontinuously at the nodes separating out-of-phase regions, while the amplitude of repolarization alternans remains smooth. We identify universal dynamical features of SDA pattern formation and evolution in the presence of those jumps. We show that node motion of discontinuous SDA patterns is strongly hysteretic even in homogeneous tissue due to the novel phenomenon of "unidirectional pinning": node movement can only be induced towards, but not away from, the pacing site in response to a change of pacing rate or physiological parameter. In addition, we show that the wavelength of discontinuous SDA patterns scales linearly with the conduction velocity restitution length scale, in contrast to the wavelength of smooth patterns that scales sublinearly with this length scale. Those results are also shown to be robust against cell-to-cell fluctuations due to the property that unidirectional node motion collapses multiple jumps accumulating in nodal regions into a single jump. Amplitude equation predictions are in good overall agreement with ionic model simulations. Finally, we briefly discuss physiological implications of our findings. In particular, we suggest that due to the tendency of conduction blocks to form near nodes, the presence of unidirectional pinning makes calcium-driven alternans potentially more arrhythmogenic than voltage-driven alternans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Sebastian Skardal
- Departament d’Enginyeria Informàtica i Matemàtiques, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
| | - Alain Karma
- Physics Department and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Complex Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Juan G. Restrepo
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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Wang L, Myles RC, De Jesus NM, Ohlendorf AKP, Bers DM, Ripplinger CM. Optical mapping of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ in the intact heart: ryanodine receptor refractoriness during alternans and fibrillation. Circ Res 2014; 114:1410-21. [PMID: 24568740 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.114.302505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) cycling is key to normal excitation-contraction coupling but may also contribute to pathological cardiac alternans and arrhythmia. OBJECTIVE To measure intra-SR free [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)]SR) changes in intact hearts during alternans and ventricular fibrillation (VF). METHODS AND RESULTS Simultaneous optical mapping of Vm (with RH237) and [Ca(2+)]SR (with Fluo-5N AM) was performed in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. Alternans and VF were induced by rapid pacing. SR Ca(2+) and action potential duration (APD) alternans occurred in-phase, but SR Ca(2+) alternans emerged first as cycle length was progressively reduced (217±10 versus 190±13 ms; P<0.05). Ryanodine receptor (RyR) refractoriness played a key role in the onset of SR Ca(2+) alternans, with SR Ca(2+) release alternans routinely occurring without changes in diastolic [Ca(2+)]SR. Sensitizing RyR with caffeine (200 μmol/L) significantly reduced the pacing threshold for both SR Ca(2+) and APD alternans (188±15 and 173±12 ms; P<0.05 versus baseline). Caffeine also reduced the magnitude of spatially discordant SR Ca(2+) alternans, but not APD alternans, the pacing threshold for discordance, or threshold for VF. During VF, [Ca(2+)]SR was high, but RyR remained nearly continuously refractory, resulting in minimal SR Ca(2+) release throughout VF. CONCLUSIONS In intact hearts, RyR refractoriness initiates SR Ca(2+) release alternans that can be amplified by diastolic [Ca(2+)]SR alternans and lead to APD alternans. Sensitizing RyR suppresses spatially concordant but not discordant SR Ca(2+) and APD alternans. Despite increased [Ca(2+)]SR during VF, SR Ca(2+) release was nearly continuously refractory. This novel method provides insight into SR Ca(2+) handling during cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianguo Wang
- From the Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis (L.W., N.M.D.J., A.K.P.O., D.M.B., C.M.R.); and Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom (R.C.M.)
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Sato D, Bers DM, Shiferaw Y. Formation of spatially discordant alternans due to fluctuations and diffusion of calcium. PLoS One 2013; 8:e85365. [PMID: 24392005 PMCID: PMC3877395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatially discordant alternans (SDA) of action potential duration (APD) is a phenomenon where different regions of cardiac tissue exhibit an alternating sequence of APD that are out-of-phase. SDA is arrhythmogenic since it can induce spatial heterogeneity of refractoriness, which can cause wavebreak and reentry. However, the underlying mechanisms for the formation of SDA are not completely understood. In this paper, we present a novel mechanism for the formation of SDA in the case where the cellular instability leading to alternans is caused by intracellular calcium (Ca) cycling, and where Ca transient and APD alternans are electromechanically concordant. In particular, we show that SDA is formed when rapidly paced cardiac tissue develops alternans over many beats due to Ca accumulation in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The mechanism presented here relies on the observation that Ca cycling fluctuations dictate Ca alternans phase since the amplitude of Ca alternans is small during the early stages of pacing. Thus, different regions of a cardiac myocyte will typically develop Ca alternans which are opposite in phase at the early stages of pacing. These subcellular patterns then gradually coarsen due to interactions with membrane voltage to form steady state SDA of voltage and Ca on the tissue scale. This mechanism for SDA is distinct from well-known mechanisms that rely on conduction velocity restitution, and a Turing-like mechanism known to apply only in the case where APD and Ca alternans are electromechanically discordant. Furthermore, we argue that this mechanism is robust, and is likely to underlie a wide range of experimentally observed patterns of SDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Sato
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Donald M. Bers
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Yohannes Shiferaw
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, United States of America
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Franz MR, Jamal SM, Narayan SM. The role of action potential alternans in the initiation of atrial fibrillation in humans: a review and future directions. Europace 2013; 14 Suppl 5:v58-v64. [PMID: 23104916 DOI: 10.1093/europace/eus273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This review highlights the role of atrial monophasic action potential duration (APD) in understanding atrial electrical properties in paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) states. Alternans of APD and rate maladaptation in a spatially divergent way appear mechanistically involved in AF initiation, development, and persistence. The underlying pathophysiology warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Franz
- Cardiology Division, VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street NW, Washington, DC 20422, USA.
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