β-AR Stimulation and Alternans in Border Zone Cardiomyocytes

Are calcium alternans in the post-MI border zone more susceptible to the effects of sympathetic stimulation than in normal zone cardiomyocytes? In this podcast Consulting Editor Crystal Ripplinger uncovers the answer in her interview with lead author Jordi Heijman and content expert Thomas Hund about the recent work by Tomek et al. Heijman and co-authors explored sympathetic stimulation and its role in arrhythmogenesis by applying an innovative computational model to the canine post-MI border zone. Did Heijman and colleagues find that β-adrenergic stimulation suppressed alternans by one single mechanism or via multiple pathways? Did Heijman and co-authors also find that hyperinnervation in the border zone is actually anti-arrhythmic, by preventing alternans? Listen and find out.

 

Jakub Tomek, Blanca Rodriguez, Gil Bub, Jordi Heijman β-adrenergic receptor stimulation inhibits proarrhythmic alternans in post-infarction border zone cardiomyocytes: a computational analysis Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online May 26, 2017. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00094.2017