Role of inflammation in the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation and the protective effect of atorvastatin in a goat model of aseptic pericarditis.
Mol Med Rep
; 11(4): 2615-23, 2015 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25524260
ABSTRACT
The present study was designed to determine the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and inflammation in a goat sterile pericarditis model and to assess the effect of atorvastatin, a cholesterolreducing drug, on AF. A total of 15 adult male goats were randomly divided into control, untreated pericarditis and atorvastatintreated pericarditis groups. Pericarditis was induced via thoracotomy and atorvastatin was administered orally (60 mg/day) to the goats in the latter group for the duration of the study, commencing 1 week prior to surgery. The levels of highsensitivity Creactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin(IL)6 and tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα) were significantly elevated following surgery in the untreated pericarditis and atorvastatin groups compared with the control group (P<0.05). However, lower levels of hsCRP, IL6 and TNFα were observed in the atorvastatin group compared with the untreated pericarditis group (P<0.05). Additionally, the animals in the atorvastatintreated pericarditis group had a longer effective refractory period (ERP) and a higher rate adaptation of the ERP compared with those in the untreated pericarditis group (P<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between the levels of ERP and hsCRP in the untreated pericarditis group. The inducibility of AF in the left atrium and the duration of AF in the untreated pericarditis and atorvastatintreated groups increased significantly following surgery (P<0.05). The pericarditis group, however, had a longer duration of AF compared with the atorvastatin group (P<0.05). Thus, inflammation may promote AF by shortening atrial ERP and by reducing the rate adaptation of ERP. These results suggested that atorvastatin can attenuate AF by inhibiting inflammation and may assist in preventing the occurrence and recurrence of AF following cardiac surgery.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2015
Tipo de documento:
Article