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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rats
Published on: February 16, 2011
Autonomic function and ventricular tachyarrhythmias during acute myocardial infarction
1Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute and University of Ioannina Medical School, Ioannina 45500, Greece. thkolet@cc.uoi.gr.
Abstract:
Most cases of sudden cardiac death are attributed to sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs), triggered by acute coronary occlusion. Autonomic dysfunction, an important arrhythmogenic mechanism in this setting, is being actively investigated, aiming at the advent of preventive strategies. Recent experimental studies have shown vagal withdrawal after anterior myocardial infarction, coinciding with high incidence of VTs, followed by more gradual sympathetic activation coinciding with a second arrhythmia peak. This article summarizes recent knowledge on this intriguing topic, generating hypotheses that can be investigated in future experimental and clinical studies.
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