Cardiomyocyte remodelling during myocardial hibernation and atrial fibrillation: prelude to apoptosis

Electrocardiographic evidence of ventricular repolarization remodelling during atrial fibrillation.

AIMS Some atrial fibrillation (AF) patients develop excessive QTc prolongation and torsade de pointes when they take QTc-prolonging antiarrhythmic drugs (class IA/III) immediately after termination of AF. We hypothesized that this is caused by changes in ventricular repolarization during AF. We aimed to establish whether such 'ventricular repolarization remodelling' occurs. METHODS AND RESULT...

Update on atrial remodelling owing to rate; does atrial fibrillation always 'beget' atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in humans. The mechanisms underlying its induction and maintenance are not fully understood. However, it seems likely that, similar to sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias, atrial fibrillation induction and maintenance are related to the presence of an anatomical and/or electrophysiological substrate, activated by specific triggers (ectopic be...

Avoiding apoptosis during mammalian hibernation

Comment on: Logan SM, Luu BE, Storey KB. Turn down genes for WAT? Activation of antiapoptosis pathways protects white adipose tissue in metabolically depressed 13-lined ground squirrels. Mol Cell Biochem 2016; 416:47-62; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11010-016-2695-0; Logan SM, Tessier SN, Tye J, Storey KB. Response of the JAK-STAT pathway to mammalian hibernation in 13-lined ground squirrel stria...

Atrial extracellular matrix remodelling in patients with atrial fibrillation

UNLABELLED Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent clinical arrhythmia. Atrial fibrosis is an important factor in initiating and maintaining AF. However, the collagen turnover and its regulation in AF has not been completely elucidated. We tested the hypothesis that the extracellular matrix changes are more severe in patients with permanent AF in comparison with those in patients in sinus...

Does myocardial infarction beget atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation beget myocardial infarction?