Published online before print May 23, 2002, doi: 10.1161/01.RES.0000022854.95998.5C
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted on January 11, 2002
Revised on May 6, 2002
Accepted on May 10, 2002
Frequency-Dependent Breakdown of Wave Propagation Into Fibrillatory Conduction Across the Pectinate Muscle Network in the Isolated Sheep Right Atrium
Omer Berenfeld *;
From State University of New York (SUNY), Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: berenfeo{at}mail.upstate.edu.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) may result from stationary reentry in the left atrium (LA), with fibrillatory conduction toward the right atrium (RA). We hypothesize that periodic input to the RA at an exceedingly high frequency results in disorganized wave propagation, compatible with fibrillatory conduction. Simultaneous endocardial and epicardial optical mapping (di-4-ANEPPS) was performed in isolated, coronary-perfused sheep RA. Rhythmic pacing of Bachmann's bundle allowed well-controlled and realistic conditions for LA-driven RA. Pacing at increasingly higher frequencies (2.0 to 6.0 Hz) led to increasing delays in activation distal to major branching sites of the crista terminalis and pectinate bundles, culminating in spatially distributed intermittent blockade at or above 
6.5 Hz. At this "breakdown frequency," the direction of RA propagation became completely variable from beat to beat and thus transformed into fibrillatory conduction. Such frequency-dependent changes were independent of action potential duration. Rather, the spatial boundaries between proximal and distal frequencies correlated well with branch sites of the pectinate musculature. Thus, there exists a breakdown frequency in the sheep RA below which activity is periodic throughout the atrium and above which it is fibrillation-like. The data are consistent with the ideas that during AF, high-frequency activation initiated in the LA undergoes fibrillatory conduction toward the RA, and that sink-to-source effect at branch points of the crista terminalis and pectinate muscles is important in determining the complexity of the arrhythmia.
Key words: fibrillatory conduction • atrial flutter • atrial fibrillation • Fourier analysis.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  S. Nattel, B. Burstein, and D. Dobrev Atrial Remodeling and Atrial Fibrillation: Mechanisms and Implications Circ Arrhythmia Electrophysiol, April 1, 2008; 1(1): 62 - 73. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N.-W. Hsu, Y.-J. Lin, C.-T. Tai, T. Kao, S.-L. Chang, W. Wongcharoen, L.-W. Lo, A. R. Udyavar, Y.-F. Hu, H.-W. Tso, et al. Frequency analysis of the fibrillatory activity from surface ECG lead V1 and intracardiac recordings: implications for mapping of AF Europace, April 1, 2008; 10(4): 438 - 443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. F. Huizar, M. D. Warren, A. G. Shvedko, J. Kalifa, J. Moreno, S. Mironov, J. Jalife, and A. V. Zaitsev Three distinct phases of VF during global ischemia in the isolated blood-perfused pig heart Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): H1617 - H1628. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Masse, E. Downar, V. Chauhan, E. Sevaptsidis, and K. Nanthakumar Wave similarity of human ventricular fibrillation from bipolar electrograms Europace, January 1, 2007; 9(1): 10 - 19. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. F. Noujaim, S. V. Pandit, O. Berenfeld, K. Vikstrom, M. Cerrone, S. Mironov, M. Zugermayr, A. N. Lopatin, and J. Jalife Up-regulation of the inward rectifier K+ current (IK1) in the mouse heart accelerates and stabilizes rotors J. Physiol., January 1, 2007; 578(1): 315 - 326. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Atienza, J. Almendral, J. Moreno, R. Vaidyanathan, A. Talkachou, J. Kalifa, A. Arenal, J. P. Villacastin, E. G. Torrecilla, A. Sanchez, et al. Activation of Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels Accelerates Atrial Fibrillation in Humans: Evidence for a Reentrant Mechanism Circulation, December 5, 2006; 114(23): 2434 - 2442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. H. Everett IV, E. E. Wilson, S. Verheule, J. M. Guerra, S. Foreman, and J. E. Olgin Structural atrial remodeling alters the substrate and spatiotemporal organization of atrial fibrillation: a comparison in canine models of structural and electrical atrial remodeling Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, December 1, 2006; 291(6): H2911 - H2923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H.-R. Neuberger, U. Schotten, Y. Blaauw, D. Vollmann, S. Eijsbouts, A. van Hunnik, and M. Allessie Chronic Atrial Dilation, Electrical Remodeling, and Atrial Fibrillation in the Goat J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 7, 2006; 47(3): 644 - 653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Kalifa, K. Tanaka, A. V. Zaitsev, M. Warren, R. Vaidyanathan, D. Auerbach, S. Pandit, K. L. Vikstrom, R. Ploutz-Snyder, A. Talkachou, et al. Mechanisms of Wave Fractionation at Boundaries of High-Frequency Excitation in the Posterior Left Atrium of the Isolated Sheep Heart During Atrial Fibrillation Circulation, February 7, 2006; 113(5): 626 - 633. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Bagwe, O. Berenfeld, D. Vaidya, G. E. Morley, and J. Jalife Altered Right Atrial Excitation and Propagation in Connexin40 Knockout Mice Circulation, October 11, 2005; 112(15): 2245 - 2253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y.-J. Lin, C.-T. Tai, T. Kao, H.-W. Tso, J.-L. Huang, S. Higa, Y. Yuniadi, B.-H. Huang, T.-Y. Liu, P.-C. Lee, et al. Electrophysiological Characteristics and Catheter Ablation in Patients With Paroxysmal Right Atrial Fibrillation Circulation, September 20, 2005; 112(12): 1692 - 1700. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Ryu, R. N. Ghanem, C. M. Khrestian, N. Matsumoto, R. N. Goldstein, J. Sahadevan, P. C. Dorostkar, and A. L. Waldo Comparative effects of single- and linear triple-site rapid bipolar pacing on atrial activation in canine models Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, July 1, 2005; 289(1): H374 - H384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. H. Everett IV, S. Verheule, E. E. Wilson, S. Foreman, and J. E. Olgin Left atrial dilatation resulting from chronic mitral regurgitation decreases spatiotemporal organization of atrial fibrillation in left atrium Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2004; 286(6): H2452 - H2460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Sarmast, A. Kolli, A. Zaitsev, K. Parisian, A. S Dhamoon, P. K Guha, M. Warren, J. M.B Anumonwo, S. M Taffet, O. Berenfeld, et al. Cholinergic atrial fibrillation: IK,ACh gradients determine unequal left/right atrial frequencies and rotor dynamics Cardiovasc Res, October 1, 2003; 59(4): 863 - 873. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Kalifa, J. Jalife, A. V. Zaitsev, S. Bagwe, M. Warren, J. Moreno, O. Berenfeld, and S. Nattel Intra-Atrial Pressure Increases Rate and Organization of Waves Emanating From the Superior Pulmonary Veins During Atrial Fibrillation Circulation, August 12, 2003; 108(6): 668 - 671. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Rubart, E. Wang, K. W. Dunn, and L. J. Field Two-photon molecular excitation imaging of Ca2+ transients in Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, June 1, 2003; 284(6): C1654 - C1668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 V. Y. Sidorov, M. C. Woods, and J. P. Wikswo Effects of Elevated Extracellular Potassium on the Stimulation Mechanism of Diastolic Cardiac Tissue Biophys. J., May 1, 2003; 84(5): 3470 - 3479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Nattel Atrial Electrophysiology and Mechanisms of Atrial Fibrillation Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, March 1, 2003; 8(1_suppl): S5 - S11. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|