optical-mapping-atrial-electrophysiological-calcium-handling

Optical Mapping of Atrial Electrophysiological and Calcium Handling Abnormalities in a Rat Model of Sterile Pericarditis

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) frequently arises after cardiac surgery and is associated with atrial inflammation and remodeling. The sterile ...

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Key Lab for Biological Targeted Therapy of Education Ministry

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia with a multifactorial pathophysiology involving electrical, structural, and autonomic remodeling of the atria. AF is closely associated with elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, which contribute to atrial remodeling and the progression of AF. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which IL-6 promotes AF through inflammatory pathways, atrial fibrosis, electrical remodeling, and calcium mishandling. Experimental models have demonstrated that IL-6 neutralization reduces the incidence of AF, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Future studies should focus on IL-6 blockade strategies to manage AF, aiming to improve patient outcomes.

Interleukin-6: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives in Atrial Fibrillation.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), a calcium (Ca) permeable channel, is upregulated during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR). Although TRPV4 inhibition has cardioprotective effects, its impact on arrhythmogenesis remains unclear.

TRPV4 inhibition suppresses myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia of mice by alleviating calcium handling abnormalities.

The atrioventricular node (AVN) plays a critical role in coordinating the sequential activation and contraction of the heart's chambers by transmitting electrical impulses from the sinoatrial node (SAN) to the ventricles via the His-Purkinje system. Besides its primary function, the AVN can generate intrinsic pacemaker activity when the SAN fails, and it serves as an important pharmacological target for controlling ventricular rate in the case of atrial arrhythmias. Despite its clinical significance, detailed electrophysiological studies of the AVN have been challenging due to difficulties in isolating viable AVN cells. The dense cellular network and complex structure of the AVN hinder enzymatic digestion, often leading to low yield and poor cell viability. Traditional isolation methods-such as adapting SAN cell protocols or employing the Langendorff perfusion technique-are limited by inadequate enzymatic penetration and preferential perfusion of the ventricular region, which significantly hampers the yield and viability of AVN cells for electrophysiological studies. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an optimized method to isolate high-quality AVN cells.

Article	Year
Interleukin-6: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives in Atrial Fibrillation. Current medical science\| PubMed ID: 40035997	2025
TRPV4 inhibition suppresses myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia of mice by alleviating calcium handling abnormalities. Heart rhythm\| PubMed ID: 40246044	2025
An optimized Langendorff-free isolating method and electrophysiology studies for adult mouse atrioventricular node cells. BMC cardiovascular disorders\| PubMed ID: 40610851	2025

Jinfang Yu

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