title: A porcine model of early atrial fibrillation using a custom-built, radio transmission-controlled pacemaker.
abstract: Mechanisms underlying atrial remodeling toward atrial fibrillation (AF) are incompletely understood. We induced AF in 16 pigs by 6weeks of rapid atrial pacing (RAP, 600bpm) using a custom-built, telemetrically controlled pacemaker. AF evolution was monitored three times per week telemetrically in unstressed, conscious animals. We established a dose-response relationship between RAP duration and occurrence of sustained AF >60minutes. Left atrial (LA) dilatation was present already at 2weeks of RAP. There was no evidence of left ventricular heart failure after 6weeks of RAP. As a proof-of-principle, arterial hypertension was induced in 5/16 animals by implanting desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA, an aldosterone-analog) subcutaneously to accelerate atrial remodeling. RAP+DOCA resulted in increased AF stability with earlier onset of sustained AF and accelerated anatomical atrial remodeling with more pronounced LA dilatation. This novel porcine model can serve to characterize effects of maladaptive stimuli or protective interventions specifically during early AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwarzl
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Medical Department, Charité Berlin Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alogna
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zweiker
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verderber
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manninger
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scherr
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antoons
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Medical Department, Charité Berlin Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Burkert M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Pieske
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Medical Department, Charité Berlin Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: heiner.post@charite.de.
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Post
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lueger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013552:Swine; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
keywords: Arterial hypertension; Atrial fibrillation; Atrial remodeling; DOCA; Porcine; Rapid atrial pacing