title: [Left atrial posterior wall and pulmonary vein refractory periods are associated with atrial fibrillation inducibility in a swine model].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ectopic activity originating inside the pulmonary veins has been associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in some patients. However, the roles played by the pulmonary veins and the posterior wall of the left atrium in maintaining atrial fibrillation are not well understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our aim was to determine whether there is a correlation between the refractory period of either the lateral wall of the right atrium, the lateral wall of the left atrium, the posterior wall of the left atrium, or the pulmonary veins, and the inducibility of atrial fibrillation in an experimental swine model. We assessed atrial fibrillation inducibility using programmed atrial stimulation before and after intravenous administration of a high dose of methacholine in 20 pigs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Atrial fibrillation was induced in 17 out of the 20 pigs. Univariate analysis showed that there were negative correlations between all refractory periods and atrial fibrillation inducibility. A short refractory period was associated with greater inducibility. In the multivariate analysis, only the refractory periods of the posterior wall of the left atrium and the pulmonary veins were associated with inducibility. We also investigated the relationship between the local atrial fibrillation cycle length and refractory period; the only significant correlation was with the refractory period of the lateral wall of the right atrium (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In an experimental swine model, the inducibility of atrial fibrillation was found to be associated with the refractory periods of both the pulmonary veins and the posterior wall of the left atrium.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Clínica Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España. ifernandezl@sego.es
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández-Lozano
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toquero-Ramos
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escudero-Vela
authors.forename: Evaristo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castedo-Mejuto
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Escudier-Villa
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alonso-Pulpón
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013552:Swine