growing body of evidence suggests that heterogeneity of electrophysiological characteristics is an important property of the ventricular myocardium. 1,2 Importantly, a subpopulation of cells, called midmyocardial cells (M cells), have been described in the ventricular wall of the guinea pig, 3 canine 1 and human. 2 The M cells display a longer action potential duration (APD) and a steeper dependence of APD on rate than epicardial or endocardial cells. This electrophysiological difference between M cells and the other cell types is the main source of the heterogeneity observed in the normal heart.Transmural and regional heterogeneities in the electrical properties of cardiac cells contribute to the normal function of the heart. They are susceptible to many pathological factors, such as ischemia, hypertrophy, or heart failure, and any significant alternation in these electrical heterogeneities can lead to the development of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. The heterogeneity of the ventricular electrical properties is reflected in aspects such as APD, effective refractory period (ERP) and conduction velocity, and is more marked in vitro than in the intact heart. 4 In the setting of ischemia, hypertrophy, or heart failure, the altered electrophysiological heterogeneity of the
Circulation Journal Vol.68, December 2004ventricle may have significance in the development of ventricular arrhythmias, but the dynamic variations of the electrophysiological characteristics of the ventricle under pathological conditions are poorly understood.Myocardial infarction (MI) can create abnormal electrophysiological substrates that trigger ventricular arrhythmias and at different stages of MI, the mechanism underlying the ventricular arrhythmias vary. The study by Anyukhovsky et al suggested that myocardial injury may in fact permit dispersion of repolarization to be manifested transmurally in vivo, and in the setting of Ca 2+ overload the transmural electrophysiological dispersion of ventricle wall may be further exaggerated. 4 Consequently, the aims of the present study were twofold. First, to investigate the effects of MI on transmural electrophysiological characteristics in the rabbit heart in vivo and second, to compare the changing trends of the monophasic APD (MAPD) and ERP of the endocardial, M and epicardial cells after MI in vivo.
Methods
Animal PreparationForty New Zealand white rabbits, including both male and female, weighing 2-2.5 kg, were randomized into either a sham operation (SO) group (n=10) or MI group (n=30). All rabbits were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg iv). Additional smaller doses were given as needed to maintain deep anesthesia. Under controlled ventilation, a thoracotomy through a left parasternal inciCirc J 2004; 68: 1205 -1209 (Received March 22, 2004; revised manuscript received August 26, 2004; accepted August 30, 2004