|
|
||||||||
Department of Cardiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
Although the atrioventricular node (AVN) plays a vital role in blocking many of the atrial impulses from reaching the ventricles during atrial fibrillation (AF), a rapid irregular ventricular rate nevertheless persists. The goals of the present study were to explore the feasibility of novel epicardial selective vagal nerve stimulation for slowing of the ventricular rate during AF and to characterize the hemodynamic benefits in vivo. Electrophysiological-echocardiographic experiments were performed on 11 anesthetized open-chest dogs. Hemodynamic measurements were performed during three distinct periods: 1) sinus rate, 2) AF, and 3) AF with vagal nerve stimulation. AF was associated with significant deterioration of all measured parameters (P < 0.025). The vagal nerve stimulation produced slowing of the ventricular rate, significant reversal of the pressure and contractile indexes (P < 0.025), and a sharp reduction in one-half of the abortive ventricular contractions. The present study provides comprehensive evidence that slowing of the ventricular rate during AF by selective ganglionic stimulation of the vagal nerves that innervate the AVN successfully improved the hemodynamic responses.
ventricular rate; epicardial fat pads; localized nerve stimulation
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
B. Olshansky, H. N. Sabbah, P. J. Hauptman, and W. S. Colucci Parasympathetic Nervous System and Heart Failure: Pathophysiology and Potential Implications for Therapy Circulation, August 19, 2008; 118(8): 863 - 871. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. Melenovsky, I. Hay, B. J. Fetics, B. A. Borlaug, A. Kramer, J. M. Pastore, R. Berger, and D. A. Kass Functional impact of rate irregularity in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy Eur. Heart J., April 1, 2005; 26(7): 705 - 711. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Tabata, R. A. Grimm, J. Asada, Z. B. Popovic, H. Yamada, N. L. Greenberg, D. W. Wallick, Y. Zhang, S. Zhuang, K. A. Mowrey, et al. Determinants of LV diastolic function during atrial fibrillation: beat-to-beat analysis in acute dog experiments Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, January 1, 2004; 286(1): H145 - H152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. Yamada, D. O. Martin, K. A. Mowrey, N. L. Greenberg, and D. W. Wallick Effects of coupled pacing on cardiac performance during acute atrial tachycardia and fibrillation: an old therapy revisited for a new reason Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, December 1, 2003; 285(6): H2630 - H2638. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Z. B. Popovic', K. A. Mowrey, Y. Zhang, S. Zhuang, T. Tabata, D. W. Wallick, R. A. Grimm, J. D. Thomas, and T. N. Mazgalev Slow rate during AF improves ventricular performance by reducing sensitivity to cycle length irregularity Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, December 1, 2002; 283(6): H2706 - H2713. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. P. DiMarco Selective Vagal Stimulation for Rate Control in Atrial Fibrillation Circulation, October 1, 2002; 106(14): 1746 - 1747. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Zhang, K. A. Mowrey, S. Zhuang, D. W. Wallick, Z. B. Popovic, and T. N. Mazgalev Optimal ventricular rate slowing during atrial fibrillation by feedback AV nodal-selective vagal stimulation Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2002; 282(3): H1102 - H1110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |