title: Effect of renal sympathetic denervation on the progression of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in canines with long-term intermittent atrial pacing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) on the progression of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in canines with long-term intermittent atrial pacing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen beagles were randomly divided into sham-operated group (six dogs), control group (six dogs), and RSD group (seven dogs). Sham-operated group were implanted with pacemakers without pacing; control group were implanted with pacemakers with long-term intermittent atrial pacing; and RSD group underwent catheter-based RSD bilaterally and were simultaneously implanted with pacemakers. Atrial pacing was maintained for 8 h a day and a total of 12 weeks in the control group and RSD group. Echocardiography showed that the left atrial structure and function were significantly improved in the RSD group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the RSD group had fewer incidences of AF and a shorter duration of AF (P < 0.05) after long-term intermittent atrial pacing. In addition to increased atrial effective refractory period (AERP) and AF cycle length, AERP dispersion and P-wave duration and dispersion were significantly decreased in the RSD group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Atrial morphological evaluation suggested that fibrosis and ultrastructural changes induced by long-term intermittent atrial pacing were markedly suppressed in the RSD dogs compared with controls (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that connexin 43 distribution in RSD mid-myocardial was significantly fewer heterogeneous than that in control mid-myocardial (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Renal denervation inhibits the progression of paroxysmal AF, which might be related to the suppression of atrial electrophysiology and structural heterogeneity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xule
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China huangcongxin@vip.163.com ruyan1971@yahoo.com.cn.
authors.forename: Congxin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China huangcongxin@vip.163.com ruyan1971@yahoo.com.cn.
authors.forename: Qingyan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zixuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaozhan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zongwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan City 430060, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018450:Disease Progression; D004285:Dogs; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery*; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Ablation; Atrial electrophysiology; Atrial fibrillation; Heterogeneity; Renal sympathetic nerve