Distinct Electrogram Features and Ventricular Arrhythmia Induction Modes Between Repolarization and Conduction Heterogeneities.

BACKGROUND: Recent clinical studies have indicated the presence of localized electrical abnormalities in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and J-wave syndrome patients. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to characterize the specific electrical signatures of localized repolarization and conduction heterogeneities and their respective role in vulnerability to arrhythmias. METHODS: Optical mapping was performed in porcine right ventricles with local: 1) repolarization shortening; 2) conduction slowing; or 3) structural heterogeneity induced by locally perfusing: 1) pinacidil (20 µmol/L, n = 13); or 2) flecainide (2 µmol/L, n = 13) via an epicardial catheter; or 3) by local epicardial tissue destruction (9 radiofrequency lesions n = 12). Electrograms were recorded (n = 5 in each group) and spontaneous and induced arrhythmias were quantified and optically mapped. RESULTS: Electrograms were normal in (1) but showed local fragmentation in 40% of preparations in (2) with greater effects observed at high pacing frequencies dependent on the wavefront direction. In (3), the structural substrate alone increased the width and number of peaks in the electrograms, and addition of flecainide induced pronounced fragmentation (≥3 peaks and ≥70 ms) in all cases. Occurrence of spontaneous arrhythmias was significantly increased in (1) and (2) (P < 0.0001 and 0.05, respectively, vs baseline) and were triggered by ectopies. Vulnerability to arrhythmias at high pacing frequencies (≥2 Hz) was the lowest in (1) and greatest in (2). CONCLUSIONS: Microstructural substrates have the most pronounced impact on electrograms, especially when combined with sodium channel blockers, whereas local action potential duration shortening does not lead to electrogram fragmentation even though it is associated with the highest prevalence of spontaneous arrhythmias.

Functional Epicardial Conduction Disturbances Due to a SCN5A Variant Associated With Brugada Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Brugada syndrome is a significant cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD), but the underlying mechanisms remain hypothetical. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate this knowledge gap through detailed ex vivo human heart studies. METHODS: A heart was obtained from a 15-year-old adolescent boy with normal electrocardiogram who experienced SCD. Postmortem genotyping was performed, and clinical examinations were done on first-degree relatives. The right ventricle was optically mapped, followed by high-field magnetic resonance imaging and histology. Connexin-43 and NaV1.5 were localized by immunofluorescence, and RNA and protein expression levels were studied. HEK-293 cell surface biotinylation assays were performed to examine NaV1.5 trafficking. RESULTS: A Brugada-related SCD diagnosis was established for the donor because of a SCN5A Brugada-related variant (p.D356N) inherited from his mother, together with a concomitant NKX2.5 variant of unknown significance. Optical mapping demonstrated a localized epicardial region of impaired conduction near the outflow tract, in the absence of repolarization alterations and microstructural defects, leading to conduction blocks and figure-of-8 patterns. NaV1.5 and connexin-43 localizations were normal in this region, consistent with the finding that the p.D356N variant does not affect the trafficking, nor the expression of NaV1.5. Trends of decreased NaV1.5, connexin-43, and desmoglein-2 protein levels were noted; however, the RT-qPCR results suggested that the NKX2-5 variant was unlikely to be involved. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time that SCD associated with a Brugada-SCN5A variant can be caused by localized functionally, not structurally, impaired conduction.

Compartmentalized Structure of the Moderator Band Provides a Unique Substrate for Macroreentrant Ventricular Tachycardia.

Background Papillary muscles are an important source of ventricular tachycardia (VT). Yet little is known about the role of the right ventricular (RV) endocavity structure, the moderator band (MB). The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of the MB that may predispose to arrhythmia substrates. Methods Ventricular wedge preparations with intact MBs were studied from humans (n=2) and sheep (n=15; 40-50 kg). RV endocardium was optically mapped, and electrical recordings were measured along the MB and septum. S1S2 pacing of the RV free wall, MB, or combined S1-RV S2-MB sites were assessed. Human (n=2) and sheep (n=4) MB tissue constituents were assessed histologically. Results The MB structure was remarkably organized as 2 excitable, yet uncoupled compartments of myocardium and Purkinje. In humans, action potential duration heterogeneity between MB and RV myocardium was found (324.6±12.0 versus 364.0±8.4 ms; P<0.0001). S1S2-MB pacing induced unidirectional propagation via MB myocardium, permitting sustained macroreentrant VT. In sheep, the incidence of VT for RV, MB, and S1-RV S2-MB pacing was 1.3%, 5.1%, and 10.3%. Severing the MB led to VT termination, confirming a primary arrhythmic role. Inducible preparations had shorter action potential duration in the MB than RV (259.3±45.2 versus 300.7±38.5 ms; P<0.05), whereas noninducible preparations showed no difference (312.0±30.3 versus 310.0±24.6 ms, respectively). Conclusions The MB presents anatomic and electrical compartmentalization between myocardium and Purkinje fibers, providing a substrate for macroreentry. The vulnerability to sustain VT via this mechanism is dependent on MB structure and action potential duration gradients between the RV free wall and MB.

Role of the Purkinje-Muscle Junction on the Ventricular Repolarization Heterogeneity in the Healthy and Ischemic Ovine Ventricular Myocardium.

Alteration of action potential duration (APD) heterogeneity contributes to arrhythmogenesis. Purkinje-muscle junctions (PMJs) present differential electrophysiological properties including longer APD. The goal of this study was to determine if Purkinje-related or myocardial focal activation modulates ventricular repolarization differentially in healthy and ischemic myocardium. Simultaneous epicardial (EPI) and endocardial (ENDO) optical mapping was performed on sheep left ventricular (LV) wedges with intact free-running Purkinje network (N = 7). Preparations were paced on either ENDO or EPI surfaces, or the free-running Purkinje fibers (PFs), mimicking normal activation. EPI and ENDO APDs were assessed for each pacing configuration, before and after (7 min) of the onset of no-flow ischemia. Experiments were supported by simulations. In control conditions, maximal APD was found at endocardial PMJ sites. We observed a significant transmural APD gradient for PF pacing with PMJ APD = 347 ± 41 ms and EPI APD = 273 ± 36 ms (p < 0.001). A similar transmural gradient was observed when pacing ENDO (49 ± 31 ms; p = 0.005). However, the gradient was reduced when pacing EPI (37 ± 20 ms; p = 0.005). Global dispersion of repolarization was the most pronounced for EPI pacing. In ischemia, both ENDO and EPI APD were reduced (p = 0.005) and the transmural APD gradient (109 ± 55 ms) was increased when pacing ENDO compared to control condition or when pacing EPI (p < 0.05). APD maxima remained localized at functional PMJs during ischemia. Local repolarization dispersion was significantly higher at the PMJ than at other sites. The results were consistent with simulations. We found that the activation sequence modulates repolarization heterogeneity in the ischemic sheep LV. PMJs remain active following ischemia and exert significant influence on local repolarization patterns.

Influence of the Purkinje-muscle junction on transmural repolarization heterogeneity.

AIMS: To elucidate the properties of the PMJ and myocardium underlying these effects. Transmural heterogeneity of action potential duration (APD) is known to play an important role in arrhythmogenesis. Regions of non-uniformities of APD gradients often overlap considerably with the location of Purkinje-muscle junctions (PMJs). We therefore hypothesized that such junctions are novel sources of local endocardial and transmural heterogeneity of repolarization, and that remodelling due to heart failure modulates this response. METHODS AND RESULTS: Spatial gradients of endocardial APD in left ventricular wedge preparations from healthy sheep (n = 5) were correlated with locations of PMJs identified through Purkinje stimulation under optical mapping. APD prolongation was dependent on proximity of the PMJ to the imaged surface, whereby shallow PMJs significantly modulated local APD when stimulating either Purkinje (P = 0.0116) or endocardium (P = 0.0123). In addition, we model a PMJ in 5 × 5× 10 mm transmural tissue wedges using healthy and novel failing human ventricular and Purkinje ionic models. Short distances of the PMJ to cut surfaces (<0.875 mm) revealed that APD maxima were localized to the PMJ in healthy myocardium, whereas APD minima were observed in failing myocardium. Amplitudes and spatial gradients of APD were prominent at functional PMJs and quiescent PMJs. Furthermore, increasing the extent of Purkinje fibre branching or decreasing tissue conductivity augmented local APD prolongation in both failing and non-failing models. CONCLUSIONS: The Purkinje network has the potential to influence myocardial AP morphology and rate-dependent behaviour, and furthermore to underlie enhanced transmural APD heterogeneities and spatial gradients of APD in non-failing and failing myocardium.