Arrhythmogenic cardiac alternans in heart failure is suppressed by late sodium current blockade by ranolazine.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac alternans is promoted by heart failure (HF)-induced calcium (Ca2+) cycling abnormalities. Late sodium current (INa,L) is enhanced in HF and promotes Ca2+ overload; however, mechanisms underlying an antiarrhythmic effect of INa,L blockade in HF remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ranolazine suppresses cardiac alternans in HF by normalizing Ca2+ cycling. METHODS: Transmural dual optical mapping of Ca2+ transients and action potentials was performed in wedge preparations from 8 HF and 8 control (normal) dogs. Susceptibility to action potential duration alternans (APD-ALT) and Ca2+ transient alternans (Ca-ALT) was compared at baseline and with ranolazine (5-10 µM). RESULTS: HF increased APD- and Ca-ALT compared to normal (both P <.05), and ranolazine suppressed APD- and Ca-ALT in both groups (P <.05). The incidence of spatially discordant alternans (DIS-ALT) was increased by HF (8/8) compared to normal (4/8; P <.05), and ranolazine decreased DIS-ALT in HF (4/8; P <.05).Not only did ranolazine mitigate HF-induced Ca2+ overload, it also attenuated APD-ALT to Ca-ALT gain (amount of APD-ALT produced by Ca-ALT). In HF, APD-ALT to Ca-ALT gain was significantly increased (0.55 ± 0.02) compared to normal (0.44 ± 0.02; P <.05) and was normalized by ranolazine (0.36 ± 0.05; P <.05), representing a complementary mechanism by which INa,L blockade suppressed cardiac alternans. CONCLUSION: Ranolazine attenuated arrhythmogenic cardiac alternans in HF, both by suppressing Ca-ALT and decreasing the coupling gain of APD-ALT to Ca-ALT. Blockade of INa,L may reverse impaired Ca2+ cycling to mitigate cardiac alternans, representing a mechanism underlying the antiarrhythmic benefit of INa,L blockade in HF.

Phosphorylation at Connexin43 Serine-368 Is Necessary for Myocardial Conduction During Metabolic Stress.

Connexin43 (Cx43) phosphorylation alters gap junction localization and function. In particular, phosphorylation at serine-368 (S368) has been suggested to alter gap junctional conductance, but previous reports have shown inconsistent results for both timing and functional effects of S368 phosphorylation. The objective of this study was to determine the functional effects of isolated S368 phosphorylation. We evaluated wild-type Cx43 (AdCx43) and mutations simulating permanent phosphorylation (Ad368E) or preventing phosphorylation (Ad368A) at S368. Function was assessed by optical mapping of electrical conduction in patterned cultures of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, under baseline and metabolic stress (MS) conditions. Baseline conduction velocity (CV) was similar for all groups. In the AdCx43 and Ad368E groups, MS moderately decreased CV. Ad368A caused complete conduction block during MS. Triton-X solubility assessment showed no change in Cx43 location during conduction impairment. Western blot analysis showed that Cx43-S368 phosphorylation was present at baseline, and that it decreased during MS. Our data indicate that phosphorylation at S368 does not affect CV under baseline conditions, and that preventing S368 phosphorylation makes Cx43 hypersensitive to MS. These results show the critical role of S368 phosphorylation during stress conditions.

Improved conduction and increased cell retention in healed MI using mesenchymal stem cells suspended in alginate hydrogel.

INTRODUCTION: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been associated with reduced arrhythmias; however, the mechanism of this action is unknown. In addition, limited retention and survival of MSCs can significantly reduce efficacy. We hypothesized that MSCs can improve impulse conduction and that alginate hydrogel will enhance retention of MSCs in a model of healed myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Four weeks after temporary occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD), pigs (n = 13) underwent a sternotomy to access the infarct and then were divided into two studies. In study 1, designed to investigate impulse conduction, animals were administered, by border zone injection, 9-15 million MSCs (n = 7) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (control MI, n = 5). Electrogram width measured in the border zone 2 weeks after injections was significantly decreased with MSCs (-30 ± 8 ms, p < 0.008) but not in shams (4 ± 10 ms, p = NS). Optical mapping from border zone tissue demonstrated that conduction velocity was higher in regions with MSCs (0.49 ± 0.03 m/s) compared to regions without MSCs (0.39 ± 0.03 m/s, p < 0.03). In study 2, designed to investigate MSC retention, animals were administered an equal number of MSCs suspended in either alginate (2 or 1 % w/v) or PBS (n = 6/group) by border zone injection. Greater MSC retention and survival were observed with 2% alginate compared to PBS or 1% alginate. Confocal immunofluorescence demonstrated that MSCs survive and are associated with expression of connexin-43 (Cx43) for either PBS (control), 1%, or 2% alginate. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, we are able to directly associate MSCs with improved impulse conduction and increased retention and survival using an alginate scaffold in a clinically relevant model of healed MI.

Recognizing cardiac syncope in patients presenting to the emergency department with trauma.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac syncope is associated with poor outcomes and may result in traumatic injuries. In patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with trauma, recognizing the cause of syncope is particularly challenging. Also, clinical markers to identify cardiac syncope are not well established. STUDY OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate clinical markers that could identify cardiac syncope in patients with traumatic falls derived from a large urban trauma database. METHODS: All patients presenting to the ED during a 10-year study period with a traumatic fall were identified retrospectively. The subset of patients with syncope was ascertained by chart review and defined as cardiac syncope (e.g., presence of dysrhythmia, valvular abnormality), non-cardiac syncope (e.g., vasovagal, neurological), or syncope of unknown cause. RESULTS: Of the 5420 patients with traumatic falls, 180 (3.3%) patients with syncope were identified. Among the 180 patients with syncope, the cause was identified as cardiac in 24 (13%), noncardiac in 58 (32%), and unknown in 98 (54%). Three independent predictors (i.e., risk factors) of cardiac syncope were identified: age >65 years, presence of coronary artery disease, and pathological Q waves. Presence of at least one risk factor accurately predicted cardiac syncope in this population, with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 43%, and a negative predictive value of 100% (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.80 ± 0.04). CONCLUSION: In patients with traumatic falls and syncope, simple clinical and electrocardiographical variables may identify patients with cardiac causes of syncope. Proper identification of cardiac syncope in this population can potentially prevent recurrence of life-threatening traumatic injury.

Ionic bases for electrical remodeling of the canine cardiac ventricle.

Emerging evidence suggests that ventricular electrical remodeling (VER) is triggered by regional myocardial strain via mechanoelectrical feedback mechanisms; however, the ionic mechanisms underlying strain-induced VER are poorly understood. To determine its ionic basis, VER induced by altered electrical activation in dogs undergoing left ventricular pacing (n = 6) were compared with unpaced controls (n = 4). Action potential (AP) durations (APDs), ionic currents, and Ca(2+) transients were measured from canine epicardial myocytes isolated from early-activated (low strain) and late-activated (high strain) left ventricular regions. VER in the early-activated region was characterized by minimal APD prolongation, but marked attenuation of the AP phase 1 notch attributed to reduced transient outward K(+) current. In contrast, VER in the late-activated region was characterized by significant APD prolongation. Despite marked APD prolongation, there was surprisingly minimal change in ion channel densities but a twofold increase in diastolic Ca(2+). Computer simulations demonstrated that changes in sarcolemmal ion channel density could only account for attenuation of the AP notch observed in the early-activated region but failed to account for APD remodeling in the late-activated region. Furthermore, these simulations identified that cytosolic Ca(2+) accounted for APD prolongation in the late-activated region by enhancing forward-mode Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger activity, corroborated by increased Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger protein expression. Finally, assessment of skinned fibers after VER identified altered myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity in late-activated regions to be associated with increased diastolic levels of Ca(2+). In conclusion, we identified two distinct ionic mechanisms that underlie VER: 1) strain-independent changes in early-activated regions due to remodeling of sarcolemmal ion channels with no changes in Ca(2+) handling and 2) a novel and unexpected mechanism for strain-induced VER in late-activated regions in the canine arising from remodeling of sarcomeric Ca(2+) handling rather than sarcolemmal ion channels.

Aberrant S-nitrosylation mediates calcium-triggered ventricular arrhythmia in the intact heart.

Nitric oxide (NO) derived from the activity of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1) is involved in S-nitrosylation of key sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) handling proteins. Deficient S-nitrosylation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) has a variable effect on SR Ca(2+) leak/sparks in isolated myocytes, likely dependent on the underlying physiological state. It remains unknown, however, whether such molecular aberrancies are causally related to arrhythmogenesis in the intact heart. Here we show in the intact heart, reduced NOS1 activity increased Ca(2+)-mediated ventricular arrhythmias only in the setting of elevated myocardial [Ca(2+)](i). These arrhythmias arose from increased spontaneous SR Ca(2+) release, resulting from a combination of decreased RyR2 S-nitrosylation (RyR2-SNO) and increased RyR2 oxidation (RyR-SOx) (i.e., increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) from xanthine oxidoreductase activity) and could be suppressed with xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) inhibition (i.e., allopurinol) or nitric oxide donors (i.e., S-nitrosoglutathione, GSNO). Surprisingly, we found evidence of NOS1 down-regulation of RyR2 phosphorylation at the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) site (S2814), suggesting molecular cross-talk between nitrosylation and phosphorylation of RyR2. Finally, we show that nitroso-redox imbalance due to decreased NOS1 activity sensitizes RyR2 to a severe arrhythmic phenotype by oxidative stress. Our findings suggest that nitroso-redox imbalance is an important mechanism of ventricular arrhythmias in the intact heart under disease conditions (i.e., elevated [Ca(2+)](i) and oxidative stress), and that therapies restoring nitroso-redox balance in the heart could prevent sudden arrhythmic death.

Targeted sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2a gene delivery to restore electrical stability in the failing heart.

BACKGROUND: Recently, we reported that sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase 2a (SERCA2a), the pump responsible for reuptake of cytosolic calcium during diastole, plays a central role in the molecular mechanism of cardiac alternans. Heart failure (HF) is associated with impaired myocardial calcium handling, deficient SERCA2a, and increased susceptibility to cardiac alternans. Therefore, we hypothesized that restoring deficient SERCA2a by gene transfer will significantly reduce arrhythmogenic cardiac alternans in the failing heart. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adult guinea pigs were divided into 3 groups: control, HF, and HF+AAV9.SERCA2a gene transfer. HF resulted in a decrease in left ventricular fractional shortening compared with controls (P<0.001). As expected, isolated HF myocytes demonstrated slower sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake, decreased Ca(2+) release, and increased diastolic Ca(2+) (P<0.05) compared with controls. Moreover, SERCA2a, cardiac ryanodine receptor 2, and sodium-calcium exchanger protein expression was decreased in HF compared with control (P<0.05). As predicted, HF increased susceptibility to cardiac alternans, as evidenced by decreased heart rate thresholds for both V(m) alternans and Ca alternans compared with controls (P<0.01). Interestingly, in vivo gene transfer of AAV9.SERCA2a in the failing heart improved left ventricular contractile function (P<0.01), suppressed cardiac alternans (P<0.01), and reduced ryanodine receptor 2 P(o) secondary to reduction of ryanodine receptor 2-P(S2814) (P<0.01). This ultimately resulted in a decreased incidence of inducible ventricular arrhythmias (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data show that SERCA2a gene transfer in the failing heart not only improves contractile function but also directly restores electric stability through the amelioration of key arrhythmogenic substrate (ie, cardiac alternans) and triggers (ie, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) leak).

Connexin43 gene transfer reduces ventricular tachycardia susceptibility after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the links between connexin43 (Cx43) expression, myocardial conduction velocity, and ventricular tachycardia in a model of healed myocardial infarction. BACKGROUND: Post-infarction ventricular arrhythmias frequently cause sudden death. Impaired myocardial conduction has previously been linked to ventricular arrhythmias. Altered connexin expression is a potential source of conduction slowing identified in healed scar border tissues. The functional effect of increasing border-zone Cx43 has not been previously evaluated. METHODS: Twenty-five Yorkshire pigs underwent anterior infarction by transient left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, followed by weekly testing for arrhythmia inducibility. Twenty animals with reproducibly inducible sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia were randomized 2:1:1 to receive AdCx43, Adßgal, or no gene transfer. One week later, animals underwent follow-up electrophysiologic study and tissue assessment for several functional and molecular measures. RESULTS: Animals receiving AdCx43 had less electrogram fractionation and faster conduction velocity in the anterior-septal border zone. Only 40% of AdCx43 animals remained inducible for ventricular tachycardia, while 100% of controls were inducible after gene transfer. AdCx43 animals had 2-fold higher Cx43 protein levels in the anterior-septal infarct border, with similar percents of phosphorylated and intercalated disk-localized Cx43 compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data mechanistically link Cx43 expression to slow conduction and arrhythmia susceptibility in the healed scar border zone. Targeted manipulation of Cx43 levels improved conduction velocity and reduced ventricular tachycardia susceptibility. Cx43 gene transfer represents a novel treatment strategy for post-infarction arrhythmias.

Mild hypothermia decreases arrhythmia susceptibility in a canine model of global myocardial ischemia*.

OBJECTIVES: Although the majority of sudden cardiac arrests occur in patients with ischemic heart disease, the effect of therapeutic hypothermia on arrhythmia susceptibility during acute global ischemia is not well understood. While both ischemia and severe hypothermia are arrhythmogenic, patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia do not have an increase in arrhythmias, despite the fact that most sudden cardiac arrest occur in the setting of ischemia. We hypothesized that mild hypothermia induced prior to myocardial ischemia and reperfusion will have a beneficial effect on ischemia-related arrhythmia substrates. DESIGN: We developed a model of global ischemia and reperfusion in the canine wedge preparation to study the transmural electrophysiologic effects of ischemia at different temperatures. SETTING: Animal study. SUBJECTS: Male mongrel dogs. INTERVENTIONS: Canine left ventricle wedge preparations at 1) control (36°C) or 2) mild hypothermia, to simulate temperatures used in therapeutic hypothermia (32°C), were subjected to 15 mins of no-flow ischemia and subsequently reperfused. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Optical action potentials were recorded spanning the transmural wall of left ventricle. Action potential duration for epicardial, mid-myocardial, and epicardial cells was measured. Transmural dispersion of repolarization and conduction velocity were measured at baseline, during ischemia, and during reperfusion. No difference was seen at baseline for conduction velocity or dispersion of repolarization between groups. Conduction velocity decreased from 0.46 ± 0.02 m/sec to 0.23 ± 0.07 m/sec, and dispersion of repolarization increased from 30 ± 5 msecs to 57 ± 4 msecs in the control group at 15 mins of ischemia. Mild hypothermia attenuated both the ischemia-induced conduction velocity slowing (decreasing from 0.44 ± 0.02 m/sec to 0.35 ± 0.03 m/sec; p = .019) and the ischemia-induced increase in dispersion of repolarization (25 ± 3 msecs to 37 ± 7 msecs; p = .037). Epicardial conduction block was observed in six of seven preparations of the control group, but no preparations in the mild hypothermia group developed conduction block (0/6). CONCLUSIONS: Mild hypothermia attenuated ischemia-induced increase in dispersion of repolarization, conduction slowing, and block, which are known mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in ischemia. These data suggest that therapeutic hypothermia may decrease arrhythmogenesis during myocardial ischemia.

The zebrafish as a novel animal model to study the molecular mechanisms of mechano-electrical feedback in the heart.

Altered mechanical loading of the heart leads to hypertrophy, decompensated heart failure and fatal arrhythmias. However, the molecular mechanisms that link mechanical and electrical dysfunction remain poorly understood. Growing evidence suggest that ventricular electrical remodeling (VER) is a process that can be induced by altered mechanical stress, creating persistent electrophysiological changes that predispose the heart to life-threatening arrhythmias. While VER is clearly a physiological property of the human heart, as evidenced by "T wave memory", it is also thought to occur in a variety of pathological states associated with altered ventricular activation such as bundle branch block, myocardial infarction, and cardiac pacing. Animal models that are currently being used for investigating stretch-induced VER have significant limitations. The zebrafish has recently emerged as an attractive animal model for studying cardiovascular disease and could overcome some of these limitations. Owing to its extensively sequenced genome, high conservation of gene function, and the comprehensive genetic resources that are available in this model, the zebrafish may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive detrimental electrical remodeling in response to stretch. Here, we have established a zebrafish model to study mechano-electrical feedback in the heart, which combines efficient genetic manipulation with high-precision stretch and high-resolution electrophysiology. In this model, only 90 min of ventricular stretch caused VER and recapitulated key features of VER found previously in the mammalian heart. Our data suggest that the zebrafish model is a powerful platform for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying mechano-electrical feedback and VER in the heart.

New experimental evidence for mechanism of arrhythmogenic membrane potential alternans based on balance of electrogenic I(NCX)/I(Ca) currents.

BACKGROUND: Computer simulations have predicted that the balance of various electrogenic sarcolemmal ion currents may control the amplitude and phase of beat-to-beat alternans of membrane potential (V(m)). However, experimental evidence for the mechanism by which alternans of calcium transients produces alternation of V(m) (V(m)-ALT) is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To provide experimental evidence that Ca-to-V(m) coupling during alternans is determined by the balanced influence of 2 Ca-sensitive electrogenic sarcolemmal ionic currents: I(NCX) and I(Ca). METHODS AND RESULTS: V(m)-ALT and Ca-ALT were measured simultaneously from isolated guinea pig myocytes (n = 41) by using perforated patch and Indo-1(AM) fluorescence, respectively. There were 3 study groups: (1) control, (2) I(NCX) predominance created by adenoviral-induced NCX overexpression, and (3) I(Ca) predominance created by I(NCX) inhibition (SEA-0400) or enhanced I(Ca) (As(2)O(3)). During alternans, 14 of 14 control myocytes demonstrated positive Ca-to-V(m) coupling, consistent with I(NCX), but not I(Ca), as the major electrogenic current in modulating action potential duration. Positive Ca-to-V(m) coupling was maintained during I(NCX) predominance in 8 of 8 experiments with concurrent increase in Ca-to-V(m) gain (P <.05), reaffirming the role of increased forward-mode electrogenic I(NCX). Conversely, I(Ca) predominance produced negative Ca-to-V(m) coupling in 14 of 19 myocytes (P < .05) and decreased Ca-to-V(m) gain compared with control (P <.05). Furthermore, computer simulation demonstrated that Ca-to-V(m) coupling changes from negative to positive because of a shift from I(Ca) to I(NCX) predominance with increasing pacing rate. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide the first direct experimental evidence that coupling in phase and magnitude of Ca-ALT to V(m)-ALT is strongly determined by the relative balance of the prominence of I(NCX) vs I(Ca) currents.

Usefulness of left ventricular end-systolic dimension by echocardiography to predict reverse remodeling in patients with newly diagnosed severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

In many patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, the LV ejection fraction (LVEF)-a surrogate for reverse remodeling-fails to improve despite optimal medical therapy. The early identification of such patients would allow instituting aggressive treatment, including early therapy with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. We sought to establish the predictors of reverse remodeling in patients with LV systolic dysfunction receiving optimal medical therapy. Patients (n = 568) with newly documented LVEF of ≤0.35, who had ≥1 follow-up echocardiogram after ≥3 months, were evaluated. Reverse remodeling was defined as improvement in LVEF to >0.35. The clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic data were compared between patients with (n = 263) and without (n = 305) reverse remodeling. The mean follow-up was 27 ± 16 months. Patients who demonstrated reverse remodeling had a significantly greater mean follow-up LVEF (0.51 ± 0.09 vs 0.25 ± 0.08; p <0.001). On multivariate analysis, the baseline LV end-systolic diameter index was the strongest predictor of reverse remodeling (odds ratio 5.79; 95% confidence interval 1.82 to 18.46; p <0.001). Other independent predictors of reverse remodeling were female gender (odds ratio 1.88; 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 2.98; p = 0.007), and nonischemic cardiomyopathy (odds ratio 1.65; 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 2.58; p = 0.03). Baseline LVEF was not an independent predictor of reverse remodeling. In conclusion, among patients with newly diagnosed LV systolic dysfunction, the LV end-systolic diameter index, but not the LVEF, at diagnosis, was a strong predictor of reverse remodeling. Patients with a low likelihood of reverse remodeling might benefit from more aggressive heart failure therapy, including the possible early use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Transmural dispersion of repolarization as a preclinical marker of drug-induced proarrhythmia.

Torsade de Pointes (TdP) proarrhythmia is a major complication of therapeutic drugs that block the delayed rectifier current. QT interval prolongation, the principal marker used to screen drugs for proarrhythmia, is both insensitive and nonspecific. Consequently, better screening methods are needed. Drug-induced transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) is mechanistically linked to TdP. Therefore, we hypothesized that drug-induced enhancement of TDR is more predictive of proarrhythmia than QT interval. High-resolution transmural optical action potential mapping was performed in canine wedge preparations (n = 19) at baseline and after perfusion with 4 different QT prolonging drugs at clinically relevant concentrations. Two proarrhythmic drugs in patients (bepridil and E4031) were compared with 2 nonproarrhythmic drugs (risperidone and verapamil). Both groups prolonged the QT (all P < 0.02), least with the proarrhythmic drug bepridil, reaffirming that QT is a poor predictor of TdP. In contrast, TDR was enhanced only by proarrhythmic drugs (P < 0.03). Increased TDR was due to a preferential prolongation of midmyocardial cell, relative to epicardial cell, APD, whereas nonproarrhythmic drugs similarly prolonged both cell types. In contrast to QT prolongation, augmentation of TDR was induced by proarrhythmic but not nonproarrhythmic drugs, suggesting TDR is a superior preclinical marker of proarrhythmic risk during drug development.

Circadian rhythms govern cardiac repolarization and arrhythmogenesis.

Sudden cardiac death exhibits diurnal variation in both acquired and hereditary forms of heart disease, but the molecular basis of this variation is unknown. A common mechanism that underlies susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias is abnormalities in the duration (for example, short or long QT syndromes and heart failure) or pattern (for example, Brugada's syndrome) of myocardial repolarization. Here we provide molecular evidence that links circadian rhythms to vulnerability in ventricular arrhythmias in mice. Specifically, we show that cardiac ion-channel expression and QT-interval duration (an index of myocardial repolarization) exhibit endogenous circadian rhythmicity under the control of a clock-dependent oscillator, krüppel-like factor 15 (Klf15). Klf15 transcriptionally controls rhythmic expression of Kv channel-interacting protein 2 (KChIP2), a critical subunit required for generating the transient outward potassium current. Deficiency or excess of Klf15 causes loss of rhythmic QT variation, abnormal repolarization and enhanced susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias. These findings identify circadian transcription of ion channels as a mechanism for cardiac arrhythmogenesis.

Inhibition of CaMKII phosphorylation of RyR2 prevents induction of atrial fibrillation in FKBP12.6 knockout mice.

RATIONALE: Abnormal calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is considered an important trigger of atrial fibrillation (AF). Whereas increased Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity has been proposed to contribute to SR leak and AF induction, downstream targets of CaMKII remain controversial. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that inhibition of CaMKII-phosphorylated type-2 ryanodine receptors (RyR2) prevents AF initiation in FKBP12.6-deficient (-/-) mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice lacking RyR2-stabilizing subunit FKBP12.6 had a higher incidence of spontaneous and pacing-induced AF compared with wild-type mice. Atrial myocytes from FKBP12.6-/- mice exhibited spontaneous Ca(2+) waves (SCaWs) leading to Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger activation and delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs). Mutation S2814A in RyR2, which inhibits CaMKII phosphorylation, reduced Ca(2+) spark frequency, SR Ca(2+) leak, and DADs in atrial myocytes from FKBP12.6-/-:S2814A mice compared with FKBP12.6-/- mice. Moreover, FKBP12.6-/-:S2814A mice exhibited a reduced susceptibility to inducible AF, whereas FKBP12.6-/-:S2808A mice were not protected from AF. CONCLUSIONS: FKBP12.6 mice exhibit AF caused by SR Ca(2+) leak, Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger activation, and DADs, which promote triggered activity. Genetic inhibition of RyR2-S2814 phosphorylation prevents AF induction in FKBP12.6-/- mice by suppressing SR Ca(2+) leak and DADs. These results suggest suppression of RyR2-S2814 phosphorylation as a potential anti-AF therapeutic target.

Connexin gene transfer preserves conduction velocity and prevents atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Several lines of evidence have suggested that maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF) depends on reentrant mechanisms. Maintenance of reentry necessitates a sufficiently short refractory period and/or delayed conduction, and AF has been associated with both alterations. Fibrosis, cellular dysfunction, and gap junction protein alterations occur in AF and cause conduction delay. We performed this study to test the hypothesis that gap junction protein overexpression would improve conduction and prevent AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty Yorkshire swine were randomized into 2 groups (sinus rhythm and AF), and each group into 3 subgroups: sham-operated control, gene therapy with adenovirus expressing connexin (Cx) 40, and gene therapy with adenovirus expressing Cx43 (n=5 per subgroup). All animals had epicardial gene painting; the AF group had burst atrial pacing. All animals underwent terminal study 7 days after gene transfer. Sinus rhythm animals had strong transgene expression but no atrial conduction changes. In AF animals, controls had reduced and lateralized Cx43 expression, and Cx43 gene transfer restored expression and cellular location to sinus rhythm control levels. In the AF group, both Cx40 and Cx43 gene transfer improved conduction and reduced AF relative to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Connexin gene therapy preserved atrial conduction and prevented AF.

Microvolt T-wave alternans physiological basis, methods of measurement, and clinical utility--consensus guideline by International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology.

This consensus guideline was prepared on behalf of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology and is cosponsored by the Japanese Circulation Society, the Computers in Cardiology Working Group on e-Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology, and the European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society. It discusses the electrocardiographic phenomenon of T-wave alternans (TWA) (i.e., a beat-to-beat alternation in the morphology and amplitude of the ST-segment or T-wave). This statement focuses on its physiological basis and measurement technologies and its clinical utility in stratifying risk for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Signal processing techniques including the frequency-domain Spectral Method and the time-domain Modified Moving Average method have demonstrated the utility of TWA in arrhythmia risk stratification in prospective studies in >12,000 patients. The majority of exercise-based studies using both methods have reported high relative risks for cardiovascular mortality and for sudden cardiac death in patients with preserved as well as depressed left ventricular ejection fraction. Studies with ambulatory electrocardiogram-based TWA analysis with Modified Moving Average method have yielded significant predictive capacity. However, negative studies with the Spectral Method have also appeared, including 2 interventional studies in patients with implantable defibrillators. Meta-analyses have been performed to gain insights into this issue. Frontiers of TWA research include use in arrhythmia risk stratification of individuals with preserved ejection fraction, improvements in predictivity with quantitative analysis, and utility in guiding medical as well as device-based therapy. Overall, although TWA appears to be a useful marker of risk for arrhythmic and cardiovascular death, there is as yet no definitive evidence that it can guide therapy.

Cardiac electrical remodeling in health and disease.

Electrical remodeling of the heart takes place in response to both functional (altered electrical activation) and structural (including heart failure and myocardial infarction) stressors. These electrophysiological changes produce a substrate that is prone to malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of electrical remodeling is important in elucidating potential therapeutic targets designed to alter maladaptive electrical remodeling. For example, altered patterns of electrical activation lead primarily to electrical remodeling, without significant structural remodeling. By contrast, secondary remodeling arises in response to a structural insult. In this article we review cardiac electrical remodeling (predominantly in the ventricle) with an emphasis on the mechanisms causing these adaptations. These mechanisms suggest novel therapeutic targets for the management or prevention of the most devastating manifestation of heart disease, sudden cardiac death (SCD).