An hiPSC-CM approach for electrophysiological phenotyping of a patient-specific case of short-coupled TdP.

Introduction: A healthy young woman, age 26 without prior cardiac complications, experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF), which coincided with a fever. Comprehensive diagnostics including echo, CMR, exercise testing, and genetic sequencing, did not identify any potential cause. This led to the diagnosis of idiopathic VF and installment of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which six months later appropriately intervened another VF episode under conditions comparable to the first event.

Maturation and Function of the Intercalated Disc: Report of Two Pediatric Cases Focusing on Cardiac Development and Myocardial Hyperplasia.

The development of the normal human heart, ranging from gestational age to the mature adult heart, relies on a very delicate and timely orchestrated order of processes. One of the most striking alterations in time is the gradual extinction of the ability for cardiomyocytes to proliferate. Once passing this event, cardiomyocytes grow and increase in contractile strength by means of physiological hypertrophy.

Pro-Arrhythmic Potential of Accumulated Uremic Toxins Is Mediated via Vulnerability of Action Potential Repolarization.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is represented by a diminished filtration capacity of the kidneys. End-stage renal disease patients need dialysis treatment to remove waste and toxins from the circulation. However, endogenously produced uremic toxins (UTs) cannot always be filtered during dialysis.

Desmosomal protein degradation as an underlying cause of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited progressive cardiac disease. Many patients with ACM harbor mutations in desmosomal genes, predominantly in plakophilin-2 (). Although the genetic basis of ACM is well characterized, the underlying disease-driving mechanisms remain unresolved.

PITX2 induction leads to impaired cardiomyocyte function in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited progressive disease characterized by electrophysiological and structural remodeling of the ventricles. However, the disease-causing molecular pathways, as a consequence of desmosomal mutations, are poorly understood. Here, we identified a novel missense mutation within desmoplakin in a patient clinically diagnosed with ACM.

Uremic toxins in chronic kidney disease highlight a fundamental gap in understanding their detrimental effects on cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have an estimated 700-800 and 523 million cases worldwide, respectively, with CVD being the leading cause of death in CKD patients. The pathophysiological interplay between the heart and kidneys is defined as the cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), in which worsening of kidney function is represented by increased plasma concentrations of uremic toxins (UTs), culminating in dialysis patients. As there is a high incidence of CVD in CKD patients, accompanied by arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, knowledge on electrophysiological remodeling would be instrumental for understanding the CRS.

Clinical Phenotypes of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction to Select Preclinical Animal Models.

At least one-half of the growing heart failure population consists of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The limited therapeutic options, the complexity of the syndrome, and many related comorbidities emphasize the need for adequate experimental animal models to study the etiology of HFpEF, as well as its comorbidities and pathophysiological changes. The strengths and weaknesses of available animal models have been reviewed extensively with the general consensus that a "1-size-fits-all" model does not exist, because no uniform HFpEF patient exists.

Quantitative Analysis of the Cytoskeleton's Role in Inward Rectifier K 2.1 Forward and Backward Trafficking.

Alteration of the inward rectifier current , carried by K2.1 channels, affects action potential duration, impacts resting membrane stability and associates with cardiac arrhythmias. Congenital and acquired K2.

LUF7244 plus Dofetilide Rescues Aberrant K11.1 Trafficking and Produces Functional I.

Voltage-gated potassium 11.1 (K11.1) channels play a critical role in repolarization of cardiomyocytes during the cardiac action potential (AP).

LUF7244, an allosteric modulator/activator of K 11.1 channels, counteracts dofetilide-induced torsades de pointes arrhythmia in the chronic atrioventricular block dog model.

Background And Purpose: K 11.1 (hERG) channel blockade is an adverse effect of many drugs and lead compounds, associated with lethal cardiac arrhythmias. LUF7244 is a negative allosteric modulator/activator of K 11.

Histidine at position 462 determines the low quinine sensitivity of ether-à-go-go channel superfamily member K 12.1.

Background And Purpose: The ether-à-go-go (Eag) K superfamily comprises closely related K 10, K 11, and K 12 subunits. K 11.1 (termed hERG in humans) gained much attention, as drug-induced inhibition of these channels is a frequent cause of sudden death in humans.