No abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common human cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with abnormal intracellular Ca 2+ handling. Diastolic Ca 2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum via "leaky" ryanodine receptors (RyR2s) is hypothesized to contribute to arrhythmogenesis in AF, but the molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we have shown that mice with a genetic gain-of-function defect in Ryr2 (which we termed Ryr2 R176Q/+ mice) did not exhibit spontaneous AF but that rapid atrial pacing unmasked an increased vulnerability to AF in these mice compared with wild-type mice.

Background The progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) from paroxysmal to persistent forms remains a major clinical challenge. Abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-leak via the ryanodine receptor (RyR2) has been observed as a source of ectopic activity in various AF models. However, its potential role in progression to long-lasting spontaneous AF (sAF) has never been tested. This study tested the hypothesis that enhanced RyR2-mediated Ca2+-release underlies the development of a substrate for sAF and to understand the underlying mechanisms. Methods and Results CREM-IbΔC-X transgenic (CREM)-mice developed age-dependent progression from spontaneous atrial ectopy to paroxysmal and eventually long-lasting AF. The development of sAF in CREM-mice was preceded by enhanced diastolic Ca2+-release, atrial enlargement and marked conduction abnormalities. Genetic inhibition of CaMKII-mediated RyR2-S2814 phosphorylation in CREM-mice normalized open probability of RyR2-channels and SR Ca2+-release, delayed the development of spontaneous atrial ectopy, fully prevented sAF, suppressed atrial dilation and forestalled atrial conduction-abnormalities. Hyperactive RyR2-channels directly stimulated the Ca2+-dependent hypertrophic pathway NFAT/Rcan1-4, suggesting a role for the NFAT/Rcan1-4 system in the development of a substrate for long-lasting AF in CREM mice. Conclusions RyR2-mediated SR Ca2+-leak directly underlies the development of a substrate for sAF in CREM-mice, the first demonstration of a molecular mechanism underlying AF-progression and sAF substrate development in an experimental model. Our work demonstrates that the role of abnormal diastolic Ca2+ release in AF may not be restricted to the generation of atrial ectopy, but extends to the development of atrial remodeling underlying the AF substrate.