Alcohol-Induced Electrical Remodeling: Effects of Sustained Short-Term Ethanol Infusion on Ion Currents in Rabbit Atrium

• Published in: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research Vol. 33; no. 10; pp. 1697 - 1703
• Main Authors: Laszlo, Roman, Eick, Christian, Schwiebert, Mareike, Schreiner, Birgit, Weig, Hans-Joerg, Weretka, Slawomir, Bosch, Ralph F., Schreieck, Juergen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2009; Wiley
• Subjects: Alcohol; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Animals; Arrhythmia; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium Channels, L-Type - drug effects; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cell Separation; Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacology; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Electrophysiology; Ethanol - pharmacology; Heart; Heart - drug effects; Heart Atria; Holiday Heart Syndrome; In Vitro Techniques; Infusions, Intravenous; Ion Channels - drug effects; Medical sciences; Membrane Potentials - drug effects; Myocardium - metabolism; Patch Clamp; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Potassium Channels - drug effects; Rabbits; Remodeling; Sodium Channels - drug effects; Toxicology; Ventricular Remodeling - drug effects; Heart; Short term; Atrium; Ethanol; Arrhythmia; Electrophysiology; Rabbit; Cardiovascular disease; Patch clamp method; Alcohol; Patch Clamp; Lagomorpha; Remodeling; Holiday Heart Syndrome; Syndrome; Alcoholic beverage; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Perfusion; Heart disease; Animal; Circulatory system
• ISSN: 0145-6008; 1530-0277; 1530-0277
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01006.x

Background:  In some patients, above‐average alcohol consumption before occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in terms of a “holiday heart syndrome” (HHS) can be determined. There is evidence that long before development of apparent alcohol‐induced cardiomyopathy, above‐average alcohol consumption generates an arrhythmogenic substrate which abets the onset of AF. Changes of atrial current densities in terms of an electrical remodeling after sustained short‐term ethanol infusion in rabbits as a potential part of HHS pathophysiology were examined in this study. Methods:  Rabbits of the ethanol group (EG) received sustained short‐term intravenous alcohol infusion for 120 hours (during infusion period, blood alcohol level did not fall below 158 mg/dl), whereas NaCl 0.9% was infused in the placebo group (PG). Using patch clamp technique in whole‐cell mode, atrial current densities were measured and compared between both groups. Results:  Ethanol infusion did not alter current densities of Ito [58.7 ± 5.0 pA/pF (PG, n = 20 cells) vs. 53.9 ± 5.0 pA/pF (EG, n = 24)], Isus [11.3 ± 1.4 pA/pF (PG, n = 20) vs. 10.2 ± 1.0 pA/pF (EG, n = 24)], and IK1 [−1.6 ± 0.3 pA/pF (PG, n = 17) vs. −2.0 ± 0.3 pA/pF (EG, n = 22)]. However, alcohol infusion resulted in a remarkable reduction of ICa,L current densities [−28.4 ± 1.8 pA/pF (PG, n = 20) vs. −15.2 ± 1.4 pA/pF (EG, n = 22)] and INa [−75.4 ± 3.6 pA/pF (PG, n = 17) vs. −35.4 ± 4.4 pA/pF (EG, n = 21)], respectively. Conclusion:  Sustained short‐term ethanol infusion in rabbits alters atrial current densities. HHS might be favored by alcohol‐induced atrial electrical remodeling.