Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
A Rat Model of Ventricular Fibrillation and Resuscitation by Conventional Closed-chest Technique
Published on: April 26, 2015
Acute effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on early ventricular arrhythmias after coronary occlusion in
Marcelo Perim Baldo1, Sérgio Lamêgo Rodrigues, José Geraldo Mill
1Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
Objectives:
To evaluate the acute effects of colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on ventricular arrhythmias after coronary occlusion in rats.
Materials And Methods:
Male Wistar rats (10 weeks) received G-CSF (100 μg.kg(-1)) or vehicle. Thirty minutes later, animals were infarcted by coronary occlusion under artificial respiration. Electrocardiogram was monitored for 30 min to evaluate ventricular arrhythmias.
Results:
G-CSF treatment reduced the number of premature ventricular beats and the number and duration of ventricular tachycardia. The incidence of ventricular fibrillation was significantly reduced by G-CSF (MI-Cont: 11.2 ± 2.4 vs. MI-GCSF: 5.4 ± 1 events; P < 0.05). However, total duration of ventricular fibrillation was not altered (MI-Cont: 84 ± 16 vs. MI-GCSF: 76 ± 13 sec).
Conclusions:
Acute administration of G-CSF before coronary ligature in rats reduces the incidence of ventricular premature beats and ventricular tachycardia, suggesting a possible direct electrophysiological effect of this cytokine independently of its genomic effects. However, the data suggest that G-CSF treatment may affect the spontaneous recovery from ventricular fibrillation. Acute G-CSF administration acts directly on cardiac electrophysiology, different from chronic treatment.
