Effect of ethanol on the
electrophysiological characteristics of
pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes
陳亦仁
Chen YC;Chen SA;Chen YJ;Tai CT;Paul C;Lin CI
摘要
Abstract
Ethanol consumption has been considered to contribute to the occurrences of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Pulmonary veins are known to initiate atrial
fibrillation. This study investigated whether ethanol may induce atrial fibrillation through increasing arrhythmogenic activity of pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes. Using the whole-cell clamp technique, the action potential and ionic currents were investigated in rabbit single pulmonary vein beating cardiomyocytes with and without (control) incubation of ethanol. Compared with control
cardiomyocytes, pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes receiving 0.3 mg/ml or 1 mg/ml ethanol had shorter action potential duration, but had similar beating rates (2.6+/-1.3, 2.7+/-1.2, 2.7+/-1.2 Hz) and incidences (45%, 41%, 32%) of delayed after depolarization. Pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes receiving ethanol had smaller L-type Ca(2+) currents and larger transient outward currents, but had similar transient inward, delayed rectified outward, inward rectified and pacemaker currents. These results suggest that ethanol has no direct effect on the arrhythmogenic potential of pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes.
