Thoracic dorsal root ganglion stimulation reduces acute myocardial ischemia induced ventricular arrhythmias

Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) may serve as a novel neuromodulation strategy to reduce cardiac sympathoexcitation and ventricular excitability.

In this pre-clinical study, we investigated the effectiveness of DRGS on reducing ventricular arrhythmias and modulating cardiac sympathetic hyperactivity caused by myocardial ischemia.

Twenty-three Yorkshire pigs were randomized to two groups, which was control LAD ischemia-reperfusion (CONTROL) or LAD ischemia-reperfusion + DRGS (DRGS) group. In the DRGS group (n = 10), high-frequency stimulation (1 kHz) at the second thoracic level (T2) was initiated 30 min before ischemia and continued throughout 1 h of ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion. Cardiac electrophysiological mapping and Ventricular Arrhythmia Score (VAS) were assessed, along with evaluation of cFos expression and apoptosis in the T2 spinal cord and DRG.

DRGS decreased the magnitude of activation recovery interval (ARI) shortening in the ischemic region (CONTROL: -201 ± 9.8 ms, DRGS: -170 ± 9.4 ms, p = 0.0373) and decreased global dispersion of repolarization (DOR) at 30 min of myocardial ischemia (CONTROL: 9546 ± 763 ms², DRGS: 6491 ± 636 ms², p = 0.0076). DRGS also decreased ventricular arrhythmias (VAS-CONTROL: 8.9 ± 1.1, DRGS: 6.3 ± 1.0, p = 0.038). Immunohistochemistry studies showed that DRGS decreased % cFos with NeuN expression in the T2 spinal cord (p = 0.048) and the number of apoptotic cells in the DRG (p = 0.0084).

DRGS reduced the burden of myocardial ischemia-induced cardiac sympathoexcitation and has a potential to be a novel treatment option to reduce arrhythmogenesis.