Age‐dependent electrocardiographic changes in Pgc‐1β deficient murine hearts
Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology
Published online on September 26, 2017
Abstract
Increasing evidence implicates chronic energetic dysfunction in human cardiac arrhythmias. Mitochondrial impairment through Pgc‐1β knockout is known to produce a murine arrhythmic phenotype. However, the cumulative effect of this with advancing age and its electrocardiographic basis has not been previously studied. Young (12‐16 weeks) and aged (>52 weeks), WT (n = 5 and 8) and Pgc‐1β‐/‐ (n = 9 and 6), mice were anaesthetised and used for electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings. Time intervals separating successive ECG deflections were analysed for differences between groups before and after β1‐adrenergic (intraperitoneal dobutamine 3 mg/kg) challenge. Heart rates before dobutamine challenge were indistinguishable between groups. The Pgc‐1β‐/‐ genotype however displayed compromised nodal function in response to adrenergic challenge. This manifest as an impaired heart rate response suggesting a functional defect at the level of the sino‐atrial node, and a negative dromotropic response suggesting an atrioventricular conduction defect. Incidences of the latter were most pronounced in the aged Pgc‐1β‐/‐ mice. Moreover, Pgc‐1β‐/‐ mice displayed electrocardiographic features consistent with the existence of a pro‐arrhythmic substrate. Firstly, ventricular activation was prolonged in these mice consistent with slowed action potential conduction and is reported here for the first time. Additionally, Pgc‐1β‐/‐ mice had shorter repolarisation intervals, These were likely attributable to altered K+ conductance properties, ultimately resulting in a shortened QTc interval, which is also known to be associated with increased arrhythmic risk. ECG analysis thus yielded electrophysiological findings bearing on potential arrhythmogenecity in intact Pgc‐1β‐/‐ systems in widespread cardiac regions.
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