New epicardial mapping electrode with warming/cooling function for experimental electrophysiology studies.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiac Electrophysiology

Background:

• Cardiac electrical activity is significantly affected by temperature.
• Studying temperature-induced cardiac arrhythmias requires precise experimental control.
• Existing methods lack the ability for localized temperature modulation and simultaneous electrical recording.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel system for localized epicardial temperature modification and high-resolution cardiac mapping.
• To investigate the electrophysiological effects of localized hypothermia and hyperthermia on isolated rabbit hearts.
• To provide a tool for analyzing temperature-induced electrophysiological heterogeneities.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a system utilizing a thermoelectric refrigerator and a 128-electrode array for localized epicardial temperature control.
• Application of the system to isolated perfused rabbit hearts using the Langendorff technique.
• Recording of cardiac electrical activity at varying temperatures (37°C, 22°C, 42°C) and analysis of QT and VV intervals.

Main Results:

• The developed system successfully achieved localized epicardial temperature modulation and high-quality cardiac mapping.
• Significant electrophysiological heterogeneities were observed in response to temperature changes.
• The QT interval during sinus rhythm and VV interval during ventricular fibrillation were demonstrably affected by temperature variations.

Conclusions:

• The new system is suitable for creating and analyzing temperature-induced electrophysiological heterogeneities in experimental cardiac models.
• This technology offers a valuable tool for investigating the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias under controlled thermal conditions.
• The findings highlight the critical role of localized temperature in cardiac electrophysiology.