Effects of acute ischemia on anisotropic conduction in canine ventricular muscle

The effects of acute ischemia on conduction velocities in the longitudinal (theta L) and transverse (theta T) fiber axis were determined from epicardial activation patterns, recorded with 48 bipolar electrodes (plaque electrode, 25 x 35 mm) on the left anterior ventricular wall of eight dogs and the posterior wall of seven dogs. During left ventricular stimulation (cycle length = 300 msec) in the center of the plaque electrode, theta L, theta T, and the ratio of longitudinal to transverse conduction velocities (theta L/T) were measured before and 2 to 5 minutes after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery or the left circumflex coronary artery. During the control state theta L was greater than theta T demonstrating anisotropic properties of cardiac muscle, not only in the anterior but also in the posterior wall. During acute ischemia theta L and theta T were decreased from the control value and theta T was decreased by a greater extent than theta L resulting in an increase in theta L/T from 1.83 +/- 0.31 (mean +/- SD) to 2.19 +/- 0.36 in the anterior wall and from 1.58 +/- 0.17 to 1.92 +/- 0.28 in the posterior wall. During ventricular fibrillation some lines of conduction block were parallel to the long axis of epicardial muscle fiber bundle and the others were perpendicular. In conclusion, acute ischemia increased anisotropic conduction (theta L/T) in the epicardial ventricular muscle mainly due to greater reduction in theta T, in the anterior and the posterior wall. This augmented anisotropic ventricular conduction may have some relation to the initiation of ventricular fibrillation during acute ischemia.