Heterogeneous atrial wall thickness and stretch promote scroll waves anchoring during atrial fibrillation.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Atrial dilatation and myocardial stretch are strongly associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the mechanisms by which the three-dimensional (3D) atrial architecture and heterogeneous stretch contribute to AF perpetuation are incompletely understood. We compared AF dynamics during stretch-related AF (pressure: 12 cmH(2)O) in normal sheep hearts (n = 5) and in persistent AF (PtAF, n = 8)-remodelled hearts subjected to prolonged atrial tachypacing. We hypothesized that, in the presence of stretch, meandering 3D atrial scroll waves (ASWs) anchor in regions of large spatial gradients in wall thickness.

Methods and results

We implemented a high-resolution optical mapping set-up that enabled simultaneous epicardial- and endoscopy-guided endocardial recordings of the

SUBMITTER: Yamazaki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3307378 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature