Evidence of heterogeneous remodeling in canine atrial fibrillation

Although electrophysiologic changes occur during atrial remodeling, little is known how remodeling affects atrial fibrillation (AF) organization. We hypothesized that, in animals with long-term rapid atrial rates and a rapid ventricular response, AF would be more disorganized than in animals with rapid atrial rates only. In 8 dogs, chronic AF was created by 6 weeks of continuous rapid atrial pacing. In this group, the ventricular response to AF was spontaneous and unaltered. Twenty-one epochs of AF were epicardially mapped from the right and left atria. In 6 dogs, chronic AF was also created with rapid atrial pacing, however, the AV node was ablated and the ventricles were VVI paced at 80 BPM. Only 1 epoch of AF per dog was mapped. Atrial cycle length (CL) and spatial organization were compared. In chronic AF with a spontaneous ventricular rate, left atrial CL (96+/-14 ms) averaged 24 ms shorter than right atrial CL (121+/-18 ms) (P < .0001). With VVI pacing, AF CL was longer than in the dogs with the spontaneous ventricular rate. However, the left atrial CL (109+/-30 ms) was still significantly shorter than the right atrial CL (145+/-43 ms) (P < .001). Spatial organization values showed that during chronic AF with a spontaneous ventricular rate, the left atrium is more disorganized (2593+/-497) than the right atrium (2052+/-732) (P < .0001). With VVI pacing, the left atrium (2202+/-597) is still more disorganized than the right (1620+/-936) (P < .05). However, with VVI pacing, both atria appear less disorganized than dogs with VVI pacing. Atrial remodeling caused by heart failure that is superimposed on the remodeling due to rapid atrial rates causes the atria to be more disorganized than remodeling due to rapid atrial rates alone. However, in either case the left atrium is faster and more disorganized than the right atrium. Atrial fibrosis caused by the heart failure may increase the disorganization of AF activation.