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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Electrophysiological Assessment of Murine Atria with High-Resolution Optical Mapping
Published on: February 22, 2018
Atrial cellular electrophysiological changes in patients with ventricular dysfunction may predispose to AF
Antony J Workman1, Davide Pau, Calum J Redpath
1British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, Division of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK. A.J.Workman@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Background:
Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), but the atrial cellular electrophysiological mechanisms in humans are unclear.
Objective:
This study sought to investigate whether LVSD in patients who are in sinus rhythm (SR) is associated with atrial cellular electrophysiological changes that could predispose to AF.
Methods:
Right atrial myocytes were obtained from 214 consenting patients in SR who were undergoing cardiac surgery. Action potentials or ion currents were measured using the whole-cell-patch clamp technique.
Results:
The presence of moderate or severe LVSD was associated with a shortened atrial cellular effective refractory period (ERP) (209 +/- 8 ms; 52 cells, 18 patients vs 233 +/- 7 ms; 134 cells, 49 patients; P <0.05); confirmed by multiple linear regression analysis. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was markedly lower in patients with moderate or severe LVSD (36% +/- 4%, n = 15) than in those without LVSD (62% +/- 2%, n = 31; P <0.05). In cells from patients with LVEF
Conclusion:
LVSD in patients in SR is independently associated with a shortening of the atrial cellular ERP, which may be expected to contribute to a predisposition to AF.
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