Optogenetic Modulation of Arrhythmia Triggers: Proof-of-Concept from Computational Modeling

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are secondary voltage depolarizations associated with reduced repolarization reserve (RRR) that can trigger lethal arrhythmias. Relating EADs to triggered activity is difficult to study, so the ability to suppress or provoke EADs would be experimentally useful. Here, we use computational simulations to assess the feasibility of subthreshold optogenetic stimulation modulating the propensity for EADs (cell-scale) and EAD-associated ectopic beats (organ-scale).

We modified a ventricular ionic model by reducing rapid delayed rectifier potassium (0.25-0.1 × baseline) and increasing L-type calcium (1.0-3.5 × baseline) currents to create RRR conditions with varying severity. We ran simulations in models of single cardiomyocytes and left ventricles from post-myocardial infarction patient MRI scans. Optogenetic stimulation was simulated using either ChR2 (depolarizing) or GtACR1 (repolarizing) opsins.

In cell-scale simulations without illumination, EADs were seen for 164 of 416 RRR conditions. Subthreshold stimulation of GtACR1 reduced EAD incidence by up to 84.8% (25/416 RRR conditions; 0.1 μW/mm²); in contrast, subthreshold ChR2 excitation increased EAD incidence by up to 136.6% (388/416 RRR conditions; 50 μW/mm²). At the organ scale, we assumed simultaneous, uniform illumination of the epicardial and endocardial surfaces. GtACR1-mediated suppression (10-50 μW/mm²) and ChR2-mediated unmasking (50-100 μW/mm²) of EAD-associated ectopic beats were feasible in three distinct ventricular models.

Our findings suggest that optogenetics could be used to silence or provoke both EADs and EAD-associated ectopic beats. Validation in animal models could lead to exciting new experimental regimes and potentially to novel anti-arrhythmia treatments.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-023-00781-z.