BACKGROUND Little is known about the distribution of gap junctions and ion channels in the atrioventricular node, even though the physiology and pathology of the atrioventricular node is ultimately dependent on them. METHODS AND RESULTS The abundance of 30 transcripts for markers, gap junctions, ion channels, and Ca(2+)-handling proteins in different regions of the rabbit atrioventricular nod...

Electrical coupling between heart muscle cells is mediated by specialised regions of sarcolemmal interaction termed gap junctions. In previous work, we have demonstrated that connexin42, a recently identified gap-junctional protein, is present in the specialised conduction tissues of the avian heart. In the present study, the spatial distribution of the mammalian homologue of this protein, conn...

BACKGROUND This study was performed to investigate the incidence of arrhythmias in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS AND RESULTS Electrophysiologic studies (EPS) were performed in 40 patients (mean age: 10.3+/-5.1 years; 30 males, 10 females) with KD who had severe to moderate coronary artery disease. Clinical arrhythmias were documented in 4 patients (premature ventricular contrac...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to investigate electrophysiologic characteristics and possible anatomic sites of multiple anterograde slow atrioventricular (AV) node pathways and to compare these findings with those in dual anterograde AV node pathways. BACKGROUND Although multiple anterograde AV node pathways have been demonstrated by the presence of multiple discontinuities in the AV node cond...

In the region of the atrioventricular node a characteristic cell potential was obtained by microelectrode recording in dogs. The resting and action potentials obtained here were small and the latter had a step-like potential before the steepest rise. The site of: origin was examined histologically by a special staining technic and was found to be from a cell of the atrioventricular node or a pa...

introduction: ouabaine is a well-known atrioventricular (av) node depressant agent, but its effects on functional properties of the av node have not been cleared. the aim of the present study was to determine how ouabaine administration modifies the rate-dependent properties of the av node. methods: selective stimulation protocols were used to quantify independently electrophysiological propert...

Electrograms from the bundle of His were recorded in two patients with acute myocardial infarction during paroxysmal atrioventricular block induced by carotid sinus massage. From the viewpoint of the surface electrocardiogram this arrhythmia was considered as a form of Type II (Mobitz) Ulo:k, the onset of which was related to a decrease in atrial rate. In the first patient, the conduction distu...