title: Hypertonicity increases rabbit atrium and pulmonary vein arrhythmogenesis: a potential contributor to the genesis of atrial fibrillation.
abstract: 1. Pulmonary veins are the most important focus for the initiation of atrial fibrillation. Diabetes mellitus may be associated with hypertonicity and increased occurrence of atrial fibrillation. 2. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether hypertonicity alters the electrophysiological characteristics of pulmonary veins and atria to enhance the genesis of atrial fibrillation. 3. A whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to investigate action potentials and ionic currents in rabbit isolated single pulmonary vein and atrial cardiomyocytes during immersion in isotonic and hypertonic (1.2x normal osmolality) solutions. 4. Hypertonicity increased the spontaneous beating rates of pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes from 2.3 +/- 0.3 to 3.4 +/- 0.3 Hz (n = 11; P < 0.001). Hypertonicity prolonged action potential duration to a greater extent in atrial cardiomyocytes than in pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes. Compared with atrial cardiomyocytes, hypertonicity increased the transient inward currents and Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange currents to a greater extent in pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes, but decreased the delayed rectified potassium currents to a lesser extent. 5. Hypertonicity plays an important role in the electrical activity of pulmonary vein and atrial cardiomyocytes, which may have a potential role in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital and Department of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Huang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yao-Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chen-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higa
authors.forename: Yi-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shih-Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D009122:Muscle Hypertonia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006982:Hypertonic Solutions