Larger cell size in rabbits with heart failure increases myocardial conduction velocity and QRS duration
- Wiegerinck, Rob F.
- Verkerk, Arie O.
- Belterman, Charly N.
- van Veen, Toon A. B.
- Baartscheer, Antonius
- Opthof, Tobias
- Wilders, Ronald
- de Bakker, Jacques M. T.
- Coronel, Ruben
DOIAbstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF) have an increased QRS duration, usually attributed to decreased conduction velocity (CV) due to ionic remodeling but which may alternatively result from increased heart size or cellular uncoupling. We investigated the relationship between QRS width, heart size, intercellular coupling, and CV in a rabbit model of moderate HF and in computer simulations. METHODS AND RESULTS: HF was induced by pressure-volume overload. Heart weight (21.1+/-0.5 versus 10.2+/-0.4 g, mean+/-SEM; P <0.01) and QRS duration (58+/-1 versus 50+/-1 ms; P <0.01) were increased in HF versus control. Longitudinal CV (thetaL; 79+/-2 versus 67+/-4 cm/s; P <0.01) and transversal subepicardial CV (thetaT; 43+/-2 versus 37+/-2 cm/s;...
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