The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits
It is well established that atrial fibrillation (AF) is far more common in elderly humans. Autonomic activation is thought to be an operative mechanism for AF propensity. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of age on atrial tachyarrhythmia induction in a rabbit model. Six old (aged 4–...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Aging Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/684918 |
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| author | Hongliang Li Benjamin J. Scherlag David C. Kem Caitlin Zillner Shailesh Male Sorkko Thirunavukkarasu Xiaohua Shen Alexandria Benbrook Jan V. Pitha Ralph Lazzara Xichun Yu |
| author_facet | Hongliang Li Benjamin J. Scherlag David C. Kem Caitlin Zillner Shailesh Male Sorkko Thirunavukkarasu Xiaohua Shen Alexandria Benbrook Jan V. Pitha Ralph Lazzara Xichun Yu |
| author_sort | Hongliang Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is well established that atrial fibrillation (AF) is far more common in elderly humans. Autonomic activation is thought to be an operative mechanism for AF propensity. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of age on atrial tachyarrhythmia induction in a rabbit model. Six old (aged 4–6 years) and 9 young (aged 3-4 months) New Zealand white rabbits were subjected to a catheter-based electrophysiological study. Atrial tachyarrhythmia susceptibility was tested by burst pacing before and after infusion of increasing concentrations of acetylcholine. Both young and old rabbits were in normal sinus rhythm at the beginning of the infusion/burst pacing protocol. The old rabbits had faster heart rates and a marked increase in atrial tachyarrhythmias compared to the young rabbits. Nonsustained and sustained AF events were more frequent in the old rabbits. No significant fibrosis was observed in the atria of either young or old rabbits. In conclusion, the old rabbits have a greater propensity for induction of AF. The significantly faster heart rates in the old rabbits suggest that dominant sympathetic activity may play an important role in the propensity for AF in this group. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6bc511734ff743dfb3a3559cdf2c5c73 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-2204 2090-2212 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Aging Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-6bc511734ff743dfb3a3559cdf2c5c732025-02-03T05:53:00ZengWileyJournal of Aging Research2090-22042090-22122014-01-01201410.1155/2014/684918684918The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young RabbitsHongliang Li0Benjamin J. Scherlag1David C. Kem2Caitlin Zillner3Shailesh Male4Sorkko Thirunavukkarasu5Xiaohua Shen6Alexandria Benbrook7Jan V. Pitha8Ralph Lazzara9Xichun Yu10Heart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAHeart Rhythm Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USAIt is well established that atrial fibrillation (AF) is far more common in elderly humans. Autonomic activation is thought to be an operative mechanism for AF propensity. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of age on atrial tachyarrhythmia induction in a rabbit model. Six old (aged 4–6 years) and 9 young (aged 3-4 months) New Zealand white rabbits were subjected to a catheter-based electrophysiological study. Atrial tachyarrhythmia susceptibility was tested by burst pacing before and after infusion of increasing concentrations of acetylcholine. Both young and old rabbits were in normal sinus rhythm at the beginning of the infusion/burst pacing protocol. The old rabbits had faster heart rates and a marked increase in atrial tachyarrhythmias compared to the young rabbits. Nonsustained and sustained AF events were more frequent in the old rabbits. No significant fibrosis was observed in the atria of either young or old rabbits. In conclusion, the old rabbits have a greater propensity for induction of AF. The significantly faster heart rates in the old rabbits suggest that dominant sympathetic activity may play an important role in the propensity for AF in this group.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/684918 |
| spellingShingle | Hongliang Li Benjamin J. Scherlag David C. Kem Caitlin Zillner Shailesh Male Sorkko Thirunavukkarasu Xiaohua Shen Alexandria Benbrook Jan V. Pitha Ralph Lazzara Xichun Yu The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits Journal of Aging Research |
| title | The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits |
| title_full | The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits |
| title_fullStr | The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits |
| title_short | The Propensity for Inducing Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparative Study on Old versus Young Rabbits |
| title_sort | propensity for inducing atrial fibrillation a comparative study on old versus young rabbits |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/684918 |
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