title: A simpler cardiac arrest model in the mouse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Delivering alternating currency (AC) to right ventricular endocardium to induce ventricular fibrillation (VF) in mice is complicated. We tried to validate whether transoesophageal AC stimulation could induce VF and how long AC stimulation had to be sustained to prevent the spontaneous cardioversion of VF in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pacing electrode was inserted orally into the oesophagus and AC was delivered to esophagus through the pacing electrode to stimulate the heart and induce VF in 15 mice. The incidence of VF and time of AC stimulation were recorded 4min after onset of VF cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VF was induced by short AC stimulation in all 15 mice. With the prolongation of AC stimulation, the incidences of spontaneous cardioversion of VF decreased whereas the incidence of pulseless electrical activity (PEA) increased accordingly. Following the termination of prolonged AC stimulation, VF occurred only in 1 of 15 mice, but PEA in 14 of 15 mice. Before CPR 1 of 15 and 12 of 15 animals remained in VF and in PEA, respectively, while 2 of 15 animals developed into asystole. After CPR, 11 of 15 animals were successfully resuscitated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VF can be induced by a short period of transoesophageal AC stimulation in mice. However, prolonged AC stimulation is prone to induce PEA other than VF. Nonetheless, the development of a mouse CA model in this manner is simpler and easier, which may have practical significance for facilitating experimental investigation on CA and CPR.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China. cmhnn@sina.com
authors.forename: Meng-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tang-Wei
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Feng-Qing
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shu-Rong
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Zhi-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology