Estradiol promotes sudden cardiac death in transgenic long QT type 2 rabbits while progesterone is protective.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Postpubertal women with inherited long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) are at increased risk for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (pVT) and sudden cardiac death (SCD), particularly during the postpartum period.

Objective

To investigate whether sex hormones directly modulate the arrhythmogenic risk in LQTS.

Methods

Prepubertal ovariectomized transgenic LQT2 rabbits were treated with estradiol (EST), progesterone (PROG), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), or placebo (OVX).

Results

During 8 weeks of treatment, major cardiac events-spontaneous pVT or SCD-occurred in 5 of the 7 EST rabbits and in 2 of the 9 OVX rabbits (P <.05); in contrast, no events occurred in 9 PROG rabbits and 6 DHT rabbits (P <.01 vs PROG; P <.05 vs DHT). Moreover, EST increased the incidence

SUBMITTER: Odening KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4397932 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature