title: Electrophysiologic characteristics of atrial myocytes in levo-thyroxine-treated rats.
abstract: To investigate whether thyroid hormone modulates electrical properties of atrial myocytes, electrocardiogram (ECG), action potentials (APs), and ionic currents were measured. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control and levo-thyroxine (T4)-treated groups at 6 weeks of age. Levo-thyroxine (500 microg/kg of body weight) was injected daily into the peritoneal cavity for 14 days (T4-treated rats) and the same volume of saline was injected in control rats daily. ECG signals were recorded using apex-base leads. APs, voltage-dependent Na+ and L-type Ca2+ channel current (I(Na) and I(Ca(L))), inwardly rectifying K+ channel current (I(K1)), transient outward K+ channel current (I(to)), and delayed rectifier K+ channel current (I(K(delay))) were measured using patch-clamp techniques. T4 treatment significantly changed electrical properties in rat atrial myocytes, including (1) the increase in heart rate, (2) the increase in cell size, (3) the shortening of action potential duration (APD), (4) the increase in cell membrane capacitance (C(m)), and (5) the decrease in input resistance (R(in)). Although the current densities of I(Na) and I(K1) in T4-treated atrial myocytes did not differ from those in control cells, I(Ca(L)) was significantly decreased and I(K(delay)) was significantly increased in T4-treated rats. Thus, thyrotoxicosis could induce the shortening of APD by alterations in current density of both I(Ca(L)) and I(K(delay)) in rat atrial myocytes.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Physiology, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. sunagam@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sunagawa
authors.forename: Munesada
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimabukuro
authors.forename: Namio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Higa
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takasu
authors.forename: Tadayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosugi
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000502:physiology; D051668:Delayed Rectifier Potassium Channels; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006325:Heart Atria; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology*; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D051668:Delayed Rectifier Potassium Channels; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D015222:Sodium Channels; D013974:Thyroxine