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ABSTRACT: Background and purpose
The reliable assessment of proarrhythmic risk of compounds under development remains an elusive goal. Current safety guidelines focus on the effects of blocking the KCNH2/HERG ion channel-in tissues and animals with intact repolarization. Novel models with better predictive value are needed that more closely reflect the conditions in patients with cardiac remodelling and reduced repolarization reserve.Experimental approach
We have developed a model for the long QT syndrome type-5 in rabbits (LQT5 ) with cardiac-specific overexpression of a mutant (G52R) KCNE1 β-subunit of the channel that carries the slow delayed-rectifier K(+) -current (IKs ). ECG parameters, including short-term variability of the QT interval (STVQT ), a biomarker for proarrhythmic risk, and arrhythmia development were recorded. In vivo, arrhythmia susceptibility was evaluated by i.v. administration of the IKr blocker dofetilide. K(+) currents were measured with the patch-clamp technique.Key results
Patch-clamp studies in ventricular myocytes isolated from LQT5 rabbits revealed accelerated IKs and IKr deactivation kinetics. At baseline, LQT5 animals exhibited slightly but significantly prolonged heart-rate corrected QT index (QTi) and increased STVQT . Dofetilide provoked Torsade-de-Pointes arrhythmia in a greater proportion of LQT5 rabbits, paralleled by a further increase in STVQT .Conclusion and implications
We have created a novel transgenic LQT5 rabbit model with increased susceptibility to drug-induced arrhythmias that may represent a useful model for testing proarrhythmic potential and for investigations of the mechanisms underlying arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death due to repolarization disturbances.
SUBMITTER: Major P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4882500 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Major Péter P Baczkó István I Hiripi László L Odening Katja E KE Juhász Viktor V Kohajda Zsófia Z Horváth András A Seprényi György G Kovács Mária M Virág László L Jost Norbert N Prorok János J Ördög Balázs B Doleschall Zoltán Z Nattel Stanley S Varró András A Bősze Zsuzsanna Z
British journal of pharmacology 20160519 12
<h4>Background and purpose</h4>The reliable assessment of proarrhythmic risk of compounds under development remains an elusive goal. Current safety guidelines focus on the effects of blocking the KCNH2/HERG ion channel-in tissues and animals with intact repolarization. Novel models with better predictive value are needed that more closely reflect the conditions in patients with cardiac remodelling and reduced repolarization reserve.<h4>Experimental approach</h4>We have developed a model for the ...[more]