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Discrepant electrophysiological characteristics and calcium homeostasis of left atrial anterior and posterior myocytes

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Abstract

The left atrial (LA) posterior wall has been demonstrated to have regional electrophysiological differences with a higher arrhythmogenic potential leading to atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the ionic characteristics and calcium regulation in the LA anterior and posterior myocytes have not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the electrical characteristics of the LA anterior and posterior myocytes. Whole-cell patch-clamp techniques and the indo-1 fluorimetric ratio technique were used to investigate the characteristics of the ionic currents, action potentials, and intracellular calcium in single isolated rabbit myocytes in the LA anterior and posterior walls. The expression of the Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) and ryanodine receptor (RyR) were evaluated by a Western blot. The LA posterior myocytes (n = 15) had a higher incidence (53 vs. 19%, P < 0.05) of delayed afterdepolarizations than the LA anterior myocytes (n = 16). The LA posterior myocytes had larger sodium currents and late sodium currents, but smaller inward rectifier potassium currents than the LA anterior myocytes. The LA posterior myocytes had larger intracellular Ca2+ transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents as compared with the LA anterior myocytes. However, the NCX currents in the LA posterior myocytes were smaller than those in the LA anterior myocytes. The LA posterior myocytes had a smaller protein expression of NCX, but a larger protein expression of RyR than the LA anterior myocytes. In conclusion, LA posterior myocytes contain a high arrhythmogenic potential and distinctive electrophysiological characteristics, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of AF.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Center of Excellence for Clinical Trials and Research in Wan Fang Hospital (DOH-TD-B-111-002) and grants NSC 96-2628-B-038-012-MY3, NSC 96-2314-B-010-006, NSC 97-2314-B-038-030-MY3 and 98CM-TMU-10 from Chi-Mei Medical Center.

Conflict of interest

The authors state no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan

    Kazuyoshi Suenari

  2. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital, 111, Hsin-Lung Road, Sec. 3, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yu-Hsun Kao, Yung-Kuo Lin & Yi-Jen Chen

  3. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yu-Hsun Kao, Yung-Kuo Lin & Yi-Jen Chen

  4. Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan

    Kazuyoshi Suenari & Shih-Ann Chen

  5. Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yao-Chang Chen

  6. Division of Cardiology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

    Chen-Chuan Cheng

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  1. Kazuyoshi Suenari
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Correspondence to Yi-Jen Chen or Shih-Ann Chen.

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Suenari, K., Chen, YC., Kao, YH. et al. Discrepant electrophysiological characteristics and calcium homeostasis of left atrial anterior and posterior myocytes. Basic Res Cardiol 106, 65–74 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-010-0132-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-010-0132-1

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