Pioglitazone Alleviates β1-Adrenergic Receptor Antibody-Induced Atrial Fibrillation Susceptivity via Mitigation of PPAR-γ-Mediated Metabolic Inflexibility.

Background: Beta-1-adrenergic receptor antibodies (β1-AAbs) function as arrhythmogenic molecules in autoimmune-related atrial fibrillation (AF). This study examined the potential impact of pioglitazone, an agonist for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), on atrial remodeling induced by β1-AAbs.

Methods: An in vivo study was performed to confirm the protective effects of pioglitazone on β1- AAbs-induced atrial remodeling.

Long non-coding RNA DANCR alleviates acute myocardial infarction damage via regulating microRNA-509-5p/KLF transcription factor 13 pathway.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most important cause of death among cardiovascular diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been widely implicated in the regulation of AMI progression. Discrimination antagonizing nonprotein coding RNA (DANCR) alleviated hypoxia-caused cardiomyocyte damages, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Prime editing: a search and replace tool with versatile base changes.

Prime editing is a newly developed CRISPR/Cas system-based genome editing technique. The effector of prime editor (PE) is termed PE2, which is generated by fusing a reverse transcriptase (RT) with a Cas9 H840A nickase. The guide RNA of PE is termed prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA), which consists of a single guide RNA (sgRNA) with a 3' extension containing the RT template (RTT) and primer binding site (PBS).

Effects of Pacemaker Implantation on Sudden Cardiac Death Rate and Quality of Life in Atrial Fibrillation Patients With Ventricular Pauses.

Ventricular arrest is a rare arrhythmic disease in the clinic; 35% to 55% of cases are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). It is well known that ventricular arrest for ≥3 seconds can lead to brain symptoms such as dizziness and even syncope, but it is not clear whether ventricular pauses (≥3 seconds) with AF will lead to sudden cardiac death. If the implantation of a pacemaker can improve the quality of life of patients with permanent AF with ventricular arrest and whether it has a long-term protective effect on sudden cardiac death.

KCNQ1 G219E and TRPM4 T160M polymorphisms are involved in the pathogenesis of long QT syndrome: A case report.

Rationale: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inheritable disease characterized by prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram. The pathogenesis of LQTS is related to mutations in LQTS-susceptible genes encoding cardiac ion channel proteins or subunits.

Patient Concerns: Here, we reported a 37-year-old female Uygur patient with palpitation and loss of consciousness.

A prospective comparison of four methods for preventing pacemaker pocket infections.

This study aims to evaluate four pacemaker pocket cleaning methods for preventing implantation-related infections. This single-center trial prospectively randomized 910 patients undergoing first-time pacemaker implantation or replacement into four pocket cleaning methods: hemocoagulase (group A, n = 228), gentamicin (group B, n = 228), hemocoagulase plus gentamicin (group C, n = 227), and normal saline (group D, n = 227). Before implanting the pacemaker battery, the pockets were cleaned with gauze presoaked in the respective cleaning solutions.

Atrioesophageal fistula post atrial fibrillation ablation: A multicenter study from China.

Background And Objective: Atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare but devastating complication with high mortality post atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. The purpose of current study was to determine the epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis, and management of AEF after AF ablation.

Methods And Results: Patients with diagnosed AEF were included and retrospectively analyzed according to the registry of 11 centers in China from January 2010 to December 2019.

Establishment of a predictive model for inpatient sudden cardiac death in a Chinese cardiac department population: a retrospective study.

Background: Little is known about the risk factors for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the overall hospitalized cardiac department population. This study was conducted to investigate the risk factors and develop a predictive model for SCD in a hospitalized cardiac department population.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients admitted to the cardiac department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2015 to February 2017.

Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation by Using Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase Pump Overexpression in a Rabbit Model of Rapid Atrial Pacing.

BACKGROUND Recent research suggests that abnormal Ca2+ handling plays a role in the occurrence and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Therefore, Ca2+ release and ingestion depend on properties of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase2a (SERCA2a). This study aimed to detect whether SERCA2a gene overexpression has a preventive effect on atrial fibrillation caused by rapid pacing right atrium.

Increase of Autonomic Nerve Factors in Epicardial Ganglionated Plexi During Rapid Atrial Pacing Induced Acute Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND The cardiac autonomic nervous system plays an essential role in epicardial ganglionated plexi (GP) regulation of atrial fibrillation onset and progression. To date, the activity of GP and the function of the cardiac autonomic nervous system are not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine alterations in epicardial GP cholinergic nerve, adrenergic nerve, and nerve growth factor expression using rapid atrial pacing to induce atrial fibrillation in canines.

Altered expression of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels and microRNA-1 and -133 in patients with age-associated atrial fibrillation.

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) cation channels mediate pacemaker currents in the atrium. The microRNA (miR) families miR-1 and miR-133 regulate the expression of multiple genes involved in myocardial function, including HCN channels. It was hypothesized that age‑dependent changes in HCN2, HCN4, miR‑1 and miR‑133 expression may contribute to age‑associated atrial fibrillation, and therefore the correlation between expression levels, among adult (≤65 years) and aged patients (≥65 years), and sinus rhythm was determined.

Effects of ivabradine on cardiac electrophysiology in dogs with age-related atrial fibrillation.

Background: Ivabradine is an inhibitor of mixed Na+-K+ current that could combine with HCN channels to reduce the transmembrane velocity of funny current (If), heart rate, and cardiac efficiency, and thus be used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure. As an ion channel blocker, Ivabradine is also a potential antiarrhythmic agent.

Material/methods: Twelve aging dogs (8-10 years old) underwent rapid atrial pacing for 2 months to induce age-related AF in this study.

Association between reversal in the expression of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel and age-related atrial fibrillation.

Background: We compared cardiac electrophysiological indicators and regional expression levels of cardiac hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels between adult and aged dogs to identify possible mechanisms of age-related atrial fibrillation.

Material/methods: Corrected sinus node recovery time (SNRTc) and effective refractory period (ERP) of the atrium and pulmonary veins were measured in 10 adult (3-6 years old) and 10 aged dogs (>9 years old). Expression levels of HCN2 and HCN4 channel mRNAs and proteins were measured in the sinoatrial node, atrium, and pulmonary veins by real-time PCR and Western blotting.

[Association of single nucleotide polymorphism of KCNE1 and KCNE4 gene with atrial fibrillation in Xinjiang Uygur and Han population].

Objective: To investigate the association between the KCNE1 gene G38S and the KCNE4 gene E145D and atrial fibrillation in Uygur and Han populations living in Xinjiang.

Methods: KCNE1 gene G38S and the KCNE4 gene E145D genotype and frequency were determined using PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 488 atrial fibrillation patients (237 Uygur and 251 Han residents) and 488 age-and-gender matched controls (237 Uygur and 251 Han residents).

Results: Genotype and allele frequency of KCNE1 gene G38S were similar between atrial fibrillation group and control group in the Han population (P = 0.

Aging-associated changes in L-type calcium channels in the left atria of dogs.

Action potential (AP) contours vary considerably between the fibers of normal adult and aged left atria. The underlying ionic and molecular mechanisms that mediate these differences remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the L-type calcium current (I) and the L-type Ca channel of the left atria may be altered with age to contribute to atrial fibrillation (AF).

Alterations in the expression of atrial calpains in electrical and structural remodeling during aging and atrial fibrillation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the change in the expression of atrial calpains and electrical, molecular and structural remodeling during aging and atrial fibrillation (AF). Adult and aged canines in sinus rhythm (SR) and with persistent AF (induced by rapid atrial pacing) were investigated. A whole-cell patch clamp was used to measure the L-type Ca2+ current (ICa-L) in cells in the left atrium.