Browsing by Author "Choi, Eue-Keun"

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Ganglionated plexi and ligament of Marshall ablation reduces atrial vulnerability and causes stellate ganglion remodeling in ambulatory dogs
(2016-10)
Zhao, Ye
;
Jiang, Zhaolei
;
Tsai, Wei-Chung
;
Yuan, Yuan
;
Chinda, Kroekkiat
BACKGROUND Simultaneous activation of the stellate ganglion (SG), the ligament of Marshall (LOM), and the ganglionated plexi often precedes the onset of paroxysmal atrial tachyarrhythmia (PAT). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that ablation of the LOM and the superior left ganglionated plexi (SLGP) reduces atrial vulnerability and results in remodeling of the SG. METHODS Nerve activity was correlated to PAT and ventricular rate (VR) at baseline, after ablation of the LOM and SLGP, and after atrial fibrillation. Neuronal cell death was assessed with tyrosine hydroxylase and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end label (TUNEL) staining. RESULTS There were 4 2 PAT episodes per day in controls. None were observed in the ablation group, even though SG nerve activity and VR increased from 2.2 mu V (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-3.3 mu V) and 80 bpm (95% CI 68-92 bpm) at baseline, to 3.0 mu V (95% CI 2.6-3.4 mu V, P = .046) and 90 bpm (95% CI 75-108 bpm, P = .026) after ablation, and to 3.1 mu V (95% CI 1.7-4.5 mu V, P = .116) and 95 bpm (95% CI 79-110 bpm, P = .075) after atrial fibrillation. There was an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase negative cells in the ablation group and 19.7% (95% CI 8.6%-30.8%) TUN EL-positive staining in both the left and right SG. None were observed in the control group. CONCLUSION LOM and SLGP ablation caused left SG remodeling and cell death. There was reduced correlation of the VR response and PAT to SG nerve activity. These findings support the importance of SLGP and LOM in atrial arrhythmogenesis.
Small conductance calcium-activated potassium current and the mechanism of atrial arrhythmia in mice with dysfunctional melanocyte-like cells
(2016-07)
Tsai, Wei-Chung
;
Chan, Yi-Hsin
;
Hsueh, Chia-Hsiang
;
Everett, Thomas H.
;
Chang, Po-Cheng
BACKGROUND The melanin synthesis enzyme dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) regulates intracellular Ca2+ in melanocytes. Homozygous Dct knockout (Dct(-/-)) adult mice are vulnerable to atrial arrhythmias (AA). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether apamin-sensitive small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) currents are upregulated in Dct(-/-) mice and contribute to AA. METHODS Optical mapping was used to study the membrane potential of the right atrium in Langendorff perfused Dct(-/-) (n = 9) and Dct(+/-) (n = 9) mice. RESULTS Apamin prolonged action potential duration (APD) by 18.8 ms (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.4-24.1 ms) in Dct(-/-) mice and by 11.5 ms (95% CI 5.4-17.6 ms) in Dct(+/-) mice at a pacing cycle length of 150 ms (P = .047). The pacing cycle length threshold to induce APD alternans was 48 ms (95% CI 34-62 ms) for Dct(-/-) mice and 21 ms (95% CI 12-29 ms) for Dct(+/-) mice (P = .002) at baseline, and it was 35 ms (95% CI 21-49 ms) for Dct(-/-) mice and 22 ms (95% CI 11-32 ms) for Dct(+/-) mice (P = .025) after apamin administration. Apamin prolonged post-burst pacing APD by 8.9 ms (95% CI 3.9-14.0 ms) in Dct(-/-) mice and by 1.5 ms (95% CI 0.7-2.3 ms) in Dct(+/-) mice (P = .005). Immunoblot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that protein and transcripts levels of SK1 and SK3 were increased in the right atrium of Dct(-/-) mice. AA inducibility (89% vs 11%; P = .003) and duration (281 seconds vs 66 seconds; P = .008) were greater in Dct(-/-) mice than in Dct(+/-) mice at baseline, but not different (22% vs 11%; P = 1.00) after apamin administration. Five of 8 (63%) induced atrial fibrillation episodes in Dct(-/-) mice had focal drivers. CONCLUSION Apamin-sensitive SK current upregulation in Dct(-/-) mice plays an important role in the mechanism of AA.