氧自由基的损伤程度决定制动应激对损伤心脏心室电稳定性的影响

本文比较了在制动应激过程中正常及阿霉素心肌损伤大鼠心室电稳定性（ＶＥＳ）的变化间的差异。应激各时程,ｉｖｇｔｔ乌头碱（０．８μｇ／ｍｉｎ）,心肌损伤大鼠出现心律失常的潜伏期均较正常鼠明显缩短,说明其较正常大鼠更易发生心律失常。正常大鼠随应激时程的延长,ＶＥＳ变化表现为先降后升,而阿霉素大鼠制动２ｈ,室速、室颤潜伏期及其持续时间虽也显著缩短,但制动８ｈ心律失常发生却无明显改变,提示持续制动应激对正常     

慢性多重应激大鼠心律失常及维拉帕米的抑制作用

目的:研究慢性多重应激大鼠心律失常和心房肌细胞内钙离子浓度及血清儿荼酚胺浓度变化,分析钙离子阻滞剂维拉帕米对应激性心律失常的抑制作用.方法:健康雄性SD大鼠随机分为A组(应激组)、B组(应激+维拉帕米组)和C组(对照组).选用噪声加足底电击、强迫游泳和束缚加夜间光照的复合刺激为应激源,建立大鼠慢性多重应激模型.B组大鼠饲以钙离子阻滞剂维拉帕米.记录心电图,分析各组心律失常的类型、心律失常事件次数.测定实验前后血清儿茶酚胺含量,实验结束后,测定心房肌细胞内钙离子浓度.结果:实验结束后A、B两组大鼠全部记录到心律失常,A组大鼠出现较多类型的心律失常(窦性心律不齐、房性期前收缩、室性期前收缩、房性期前收缩和未下传、室上性心动过速、阵发性室速),B组记录到室性期前收缩(ventricular pre-mature beats,VPB)和房性期前收缩(atrial premature beats,APB o B组大鼠出现心律失常时间较晚(A组:17±4d;B组:25±3 d,p<0.01)、心律失常发生频率低于A组(VPB:A=2.0±0.4;B=0.8±0.06,p<0.01 events/min,APB:A=1.8±0.3;B=0.3±0.05events/min,p<0.01).实验结束后,A、B两组血清去甲肾上腺素(norepinephrine,NE)和肾上腺素(epinephrine,Epi)水平增高,并高于对照组,B组低于A组(NE:A=2,617±344 pg/ml;B=751±146 pg/ml,P<0.01;Epi:A=1,635±224 pg/ml;B=538±106pg/ml,P<0.01).B组动物心房肌细胞内钙离子浓度较A组低(A=215± 26nmol/L;B=101±15mnol/L,P<0.01).结论:钙离子阻滞剂维拉帕米可阻止心房肌细胞钙离子内流和减少儿荼酚胺释放水平进而延缓慢性多重应激诱导的心律失常和降低其发生率.     

CircITGA7对缺血性心律失常大鼠心肌细胞凋亡的影响

研究环状RNA ITGA7(circITGA7)在心律失常大鼠心肌细胞中的表达,并探讨其对心律失常大鼠心肌细胞凋亡的影响及机制。40只SPF级SD雄性大鼠,分为4组,分别为假手术组、心律失常组、circITGA7干扰心律失常组和对照干扰心律失常组,尾静脉注射circITGA7干扰腺相关病毒构建circITGA7干扰大鼠模型,并通过手术结扎冠状动脉前降支建立缺血性心律失常大鼠模型。通过荧光定量PCR法(Q-PCR)检测circITGA7在心律失常大鼠心肌组织中的表达水平。分别检测circITGA7对心律失常大鼠心肌氧化应激和凋亡的影响;Western blotting检测circITGA7对心律失常大鼠心肌细胞p-AKT和ITGA7蛋白表达的影响。Q-PCR结果显示circITGA7在心律失常大鼠心肌组织中的表达显着高于假手术组大鼠;与对照干扰心律失常组比较,circITGA7干扰心律失常组大鼠心律失常评分显著降低,差异具有统计学意义(p<0.01)。与假手术组比较,心律失常组大鼠心肌细胞SOD活力显著降低,MDA含量显著升高;与对照干扰心律失常组比较,circITGA7干扰心律失常组大鼠心律失常组大鼠心肌细胞SOD活力显著升高,MDA含量显著降低,差异具有统计学意义(p<0.01)。TUNEL检测结果显示,与假手术组比较,心律失常大鼠心肌细胞凋亡程度显著升高;与对照干扰心律失常组大鼠比较,circITGA7干扰心律失常组大鼠心肌细胞凋亡率为显著降低(p<0.01);Western blotting结果显示,与假手术组比较,心律失常大鼠心肌细胞p-AKT和ITGA7的蛋白表达水平均显著升高;与对照干扰心律失常组比较,circITGA7干扰心律失常组大鼠心肌细胞p-AKT和ITGA7的蛋白表达水平均显著下降(p<0.01)。干扰circITGA7能够抑制AKT路径,抑制心律失常大鼠心肌细胞氧化应激和细胞凋亡,缓解大鼠心律失常。     

心理应激对牙周炎组织氧化还原反应影响的动物实验研究

目的:明确心理应激对大鼠牙周炎组织局部病损以及抗氧化酶活性和丙二醛(MDA)含量变化的影响。方法:40只健康Sprague-Dawley大鼠随机分为对照组(C)、实验性牙周炎组(EP)、实验性牙周炎+心理应激组(EP+PS)以及实验性牙周炎+心理应激+药物组(EP+PS+DR),每组10只。分别采用丝线结扎法和慢性不可预知性应激法建立大鼠实验性牙周炎模型和心理应激模型。EP组动物仅用丝线结扎右上颌第二磨牙颈部,EP+PS组动物同时接受丝线结扎和心理应激刺激,EP+PS+DR组动物除上述处置外,按5 mg/kg/日剂量腹腔注射氟西汀,而C组大鼠无任何干预措施。4周后对所有动物进行糖水偏爱度测试、行为学观察和血清学检测,并计算牙槽骨丧失和附着丧失情况,同时测量牙龈组织中抗氧化酶活性以及MDA含量。结果:慢性不可预知性应激导致大鼠旷场实验中央区移动距离减少(P<0.05)、中央区停留时间增加(P<0.05)、糖水偏爱度降低(P<0.05)、血清皮质酮与促肾上腺皮质激素浓度升高(P<0.05);并且应激大鼠的牙槽骨丧失和附着丧失明显大于单纯牙周炎组(P<0.05);同时,心理应激状态下大鼠牙龈组织的氧化还原代谢异常,表现为超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性明显低于单纯牙周炎组(P<0.05),而MDA含量明显高于单纯牙周炎组(P<0.05)。氟西汀在拮抗心理应激的同时,可以明显改善动物牙周炎组织局部降低的抗氧化酶活性以及升高的脂质过氧化产物含量(P<0.05)。结论:心理应激可以导致牙周炎组织的氧化损伤加重,有效拮抗心理应激有助于减轻牙周炎性组织病损。     

热应激对大鼠在体心肌缺血／再灌注性心律失常及抗氧化酶的影响

目的：探讨热应激对大鼠在体心肌缺血／再灌注性心律失常及抗氧化酶的影响。方法：大鼠热应激后,建立心肌缺血／再灌注损伤模型,观察大鼠在缺血5min、10min和再灌注10min、20min和30min后心律失常发生情况,动态Ⅱ导联心电图监测室性早搏（PVB）、室性心动过速（VT）及心室颤动与扑动（VF）的发生率和血中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性、活性氧（ROS）及丙二醛（MDA）含量的变化。结果：热应激预处理后,缺血10min时,能明显改善PWB的发生率（P〈0．01）;可明显减少再灌注10min和20min时、VT、VF（P〈0．01）的发生率;能明显提高再灌注10min时血中SOD活性（P〈0．01）,降低MDA和ROS的含量（P（0．01）。结论：热应激预处理能明显降低大鼠在俸心肌缺血／再灌注性心律失常的发生率,可提高血中SOD活性,降低MDA和ROS的含量。     

内源性中枢血管紧张素Ⅱ在慢性应激大鼠血压高反应性中的作用

心理生理学研究表明,高血压病人对应激刺激的反应性要高于正常血压者,高血压息者对刺激产生的血压变化在幅度与时限上均强于正常血压者。动物实验表明,与Wistar-Kyoto(WKY)大鼠相比,自发性高血压大鼠(SHR)对环境心理应激的心血管反应性增强,并可能与遗传有关。在SHR的高血压维持中血管紧张素Ⅱ(AⅡ)起一定作用。本实验探讨内源性中枢AⅡ在慢性应激Wistar大鼠动脉血压高反应     

心理应激对大鼠旷场行为的影响及酪氨酸干预作用研究

目的：观察心理应激对大鼠自主探究行为的影响,并探讨酪氨酸干预对心理应激动物的作用。方法：将Wistar大鼠随机分为5组（n=10）：正常对照组、应激对照组和低、中、高剂量酪氨酸补充应激组。测定动物的旷场行为表现,以放免法检测血浆皮质醇水平,以化学荧光法检测血浆去甲肾上腺素和多巴胺含量。结果：束缚应激使动物的血浆皮质醇水平明显升高,并出现体重增长缓慢。与正常对照组相比,应激对照组动物在旷场中的潜伏期延长、水平运动和垂直运动次数减少,而中剂量酪氨酸补充应激组和高剂量酪氨酸补充应激组动物的旷场行为表现未见显著差异。应激对照组和低剂量酪氨酸补充应激组动物的血浆去甲肾上腺素和多巴胺水平降低,其它动物未见明显变化。结论：应激引起动物应激激素分泌增加,旷场行为表现异常,而补充酪氨酸可减轻应激造成的这种不良影响。其机制可能涉及神经递质去甲肾上腺素和多巴胺水平的变化。     

压力-应激对大鼠心肌细胞Cx43蛋白表达及心肌纤维化的影响

目的:探讨压力-应激对大鼠心肌细胞间隙连接蛋白-43(Cx43)蛋白表达及心肌纤维化的影响。方法:将20只雄性SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组(n=10)和模型组(n=10),对照组正常饲养,模型组给予不可预测性复合应激结合孤养建立压力-应激大鼠模型。监测两组大鼠的体重变化,并通过组织形态学方法,探讨压力-应激对大鼠心肌细胞Cx43蛋白表达及心肌纤维化的影响。结果:在为期42天的造模过程中,从应激第7天开始,模型组大鼠体重明显低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。且模型组体重增长缓慢,体重增长百分比明显低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。与对照组相比,模型组大鼠组织HE染色可见心肌细胞排列紊乱,横纹消失,细胞间隙增大,部分肌纤维断裂、溶解,Masson染色可见心肌间质纤维化,胶原纤维增生、排列紊乱。心肌细胞免疫组化染色可见模型组Cx43蛋白表达明显下降(平均光密度值为0.0110±0.0028),与对照组相比(平均光密度值为0.0268±0.0025),差异具有统计学意义(t=-13.081,P<0.001)。结论:过度疲劳导致猝死的发生可能与Cx43蛋白表达水平的下降引起的恶性心律失常有关。     

贯叶连翘对应激大鼠生长和脑单胺类神经递质含量的影响

为探讨贯叶连翘对慢性应激大鼠生长和脑单胺类神经递质的影响,用15只大鼠设置对照组、应激组和贯叶连翘组3组实验。应激组和贯叶连翘组均进行7天的应激刺激后,贯叶连翘组灌胃贯叶连翘10 d。实验结束后,取3组大鼠的脑组织,用高效液相色谱法测定高香草酸（HVA）、去甲肾上腺素（NE）、多巴胺（DA）和5-羟色胺（5-HT）的含量。结果表明,应激组大鼠日增重明显低于对照组;而贯叶连翘组大鼠的日增重明显高于应激组。应激组大鼠海马、纹状体和前额叶中的HVA、NE、DA和5-HT与对照组间均无显著差异。贯叶连翘组大鼠纹状体中的DA含量明显高于应激组;而前额叶中的DA则明显低于应激组。因此,贯叶连翘对慢性应激引起的大鼠生长受抑有缓解作用,对其脑内单胺类神经递质有部分调节作用。     

贯叶连翘对应激大鼠生长和脑单胺类神经递质含量的影响

为探讨贯叶连翘对慢性应激大鼠生长和脑单胺类神经递质的影响,用15只大鼠设置对照组、应激组和贯叶连翘组3组实验。应激组和贯叶连翘组均进行7天的应激刺激后,贯叶连翘组灌胃贯叶连翘10d。实验结束后,取3组大鼠的脑组织,用高效液相色谱法测定高香草酸(HVA)、去甲肾上腺素(NE)、多巴胺(DA)和5-羟色胺(5-HT)的含量。结果表明,应激组大鼠日增重明显低于对照组;而贯叶连翘组大鼠的日增重明显高于应激组。应激组大鼠海马、纹状体和前额叶中的HVA、NE、DA和5-HT与对照组间均无显著差异。贯叶连翘组大鼠纹状体中的DA含量明显高于应激组;而前额叶中的DA则明显低于应激组。因此,贯叶连翘对慢性应激引起的大鼠生长受抑有缓解作用,对其脑内单胺类神经递质有部分调节作用。     

β-AR blockers suppresses ER stress in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

BACKGROUND: Long-term β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) blockade reduces mortality in patients with heart failure. Chronic sympathetic hyperactivity in heart failure causes sustained β-AR activation, and this can deplete Ca(2+) in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leading to ER stress and subsequent apoptosis. We tested the effect of β-AR blockers on ER stress pathway in experimental model of heart failure. METHODS AND DISCUSSIONS: ER chaperones were markedly increased in failing hearts of patients with end-stage heart failure. In Sprague-Dawley rats, cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure was induced by abdominal aortic constriction or isoproterenol subcutaneous injection. Oral β-AR blockers treatment was performed in therapy groups. Cardiac remodeling and left ventricular function were analyzed in rats failing hearts. After 4 or 8 weeks of banding, rats developed cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Cardiac expression of ER chaperones was significantly increased. Similar to the findings above, sustained isoproterenol infusion for 2 weeks induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure with increased ER chaperones and apoptosis in hearts. β-AR blockers treatment markedly attenuated these pathological changes and reduced ER stress and apoptosis in failing hearts. On the other hand, β-AR agonist isoproterenol induced ER stress and apoptosis in cultured cardiomyocytes. β-AR blockers largely prevented ER stress and protected myocytes against apoptosis. And β-AR blockade significantly suppressed the overactivation of CaMKII in isoproterenol-stimulated cardiomyocytes and failing hearts in rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that ER stress occurred in failing hearts and this could be reversed by β-AR blockade. Alleviation of ER stress may be an important mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of β-AR blockers on heart failure.     

Peculiarities of tricarboxylic acid cycle in the myocardium of adult and old rats in the case of immobilization stress

Indices showing Krebs cycle functioning in the hearts of adult and old rats subjected to 30-minutes immobilization were studied in order to find out the causes of age-related increase of heart sensitivity to stress. The studies have shown that compensatory changes of energy metabolism promoting limitation of stress-induced decrease of energy supply of the heart muscle took place in the myocardium mitochondria in adult and old rats during immobilization stress. The changes are associated with maintenance of high rate of redox reactions in the Krebs cycle and increase of myocardium respiration in old rats, and with an increase of the FAD-dependent processes in tissue respiration in adult rats.     

Abolition of reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in hearts from thiamine-deficient rats

Extensive work has been done regarding the impact of thiamine deprivation on the nervous system. In cardiac tissue, chronic thiamine deficiency is described to cause changes in the myocardium that can be associated with arrhythmias. However, compared with the brain, very little is known about the effects of thiamine deficiency on the heart. Thus this study was undertaken to explore whether thiamine deprivation has a role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis. We examined hearts isolated from thiamine-deprived and control rats. We measured heart rate, diastolic and systolic tension, and contraction and relaxation rates. Whole cell voltage clamp was performed in rat isolated cardiac myocytes to measure L-type Ca(2+) current. In addition, we investigated the global intracellular calcium transients by using confocal microscopy in the line-scan mode. The hearts from thiamine-deficient rats did not degenerate into ventricular fibrillation during 30 min of reperfusion after 15 min of coronary occlusion. The antiarrhythmogenic effects were characterized by the arrhythmia severity index. Our results suggest that hearts from thiamine-deficient rats did not experience irreversible arrhythmias. There was no change in L-type Ca(2+) current density. Inactivation kinetics of this current in Ca(2+)-buffered cells was retarded in thiamine-deficient cardiac myocytes. The global Ca(2+) release was significantly reduced in thiamine-deficient cardiac myocytes. The amplitude of caffeine-releasable Ca(2+) was lower in thiamine-deficient myocytes. In summary, we have found that thiamine deprivation attenuates the incidence and severity of postischemic arrhythmias, possibly through a mechanism involving a decrease in global Ca(2+) release.     

缺血预处理降低大鼠心室易颤性

本实验应用离体大鼠Ｌａｎｇｅｎｄｏｒｆｆ灌流模型,研究模拟缺血预处理（ＩＰ）对心脏的保护作用。发现ＩＰ可引起心室颤动阈（ＶＦＴ）升高、心律失常发生率和严重程度降低、心室有效不应期短时延长。ＩＰ对心脏的保护作用在预缺血后３０ｍｉｎ已基本消失。提示ＩＰ对离体大鼠心肌有保护作用,且时间较为短暂。     

Effects of psychological stress on autonomic control of heart in rats.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of psychological stress on autonomic control of the heart in rats. For this purpose, we evoked anxiety-like or fear-like states in rats by means of classical conditioning and examined changes in autonomic nervous activity using an implanted telemetry system and power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Anxiety-like states resulted in a significant increase in heart rate (HR), low frequency (LF) power, and LF/HF ratio, with no change in high frequency (HF) power. Fear-like states resulted in a significant increase in HR and a significant decrease in HF power with no significant change in both LF power and LF/HF ratio, although LF/HF ratio increased slightly. These results suggest that autonomic balance becomes predominant in sympathetic nervous activity in both anxiety-like and fear-like states. These changes in rats correspond to changes which are relevant to cardiovascular diseases in humans under many kinds of psychological stress. Therefore, the experimental design of this study is a useful experimental model for investigating the effects of psychological stress on autonomic control of the heart in humans.     

Ventricular activation is impaired in aged rat hearts

Ventricular arrhythmias are frequently observed in the elderly population secondary to alterations of electrophysiological properties that occur with the normal aging process of the heart. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to determine specific age-related changes in electrophysiological properties and myocardial structure in the ventricles that can be related to a structural-functional arrhythmogenic substrate. Multiple unipolar electrograms were recorded in vivo on the anterior ventricular surface of four control and seven aged rats during normal sinus rhythm and ventricular pacing. Electrical data were related to morphometric and immunohistochemical parameters of the underlying ventricular myocardium. In aged hearts total ventricular activation time was significantly delayed (QRS duration: +69%), while ventricular conduction velocity did not change significantly compared with control hearts. Moreover, ventricular activation patterns displayed variable numbers of epicardial breakthrough points whose appearance could change with time. Morphological analysis in aged rats revealed that heart weight and myocyte transverse diameter increased significantly, scattered microfoci of interstitial fibrosis were mostly present in the ventricular subendocardium, and gap junction connexin expression decreased significantly in ventricular myocardium compared with control rats. Our results show that in aged hearts delayed total ventricular activation time and abnormal activation patterns are not due to delayed myocardial conduction and suggest the occurrence of impaired impulse propagation through the conduction system leading to uncoordinated myocardial excitation. Impaired interaction between the conduction system and ventricular myocardium might create a potential reentry substrate, contributing to a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in the elderly population.     

Protective effects of dexrazoxane against acute ischaemia/reperfusion injury of rat hearts

Dexrazoxane (DEX), an inhibitor of topoisomerase II and intracellular iron chelator, is believed to reduce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protects the heart from the toxicity of anthracycline antineoplastics. As ROS also play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiac ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, the aim was to find out whether DEX can improve cardiac ischaemic tolerance. DEX in a dose of 50, 150, or 450?mg·(kg body mass)(-1) was administered intravenously to rats 60?min before ischaemia. Myocardial infarct size and ventricular arrhythmias were assessed in anaesthetized open-chest animals subjected to 20?min coronary artery occlusion and 3?h reperfusion. Arrhythmias induced by I/R were also assessed in isolated perfused hearts. Only the highest dose of DEX significantly reduced infarct size from 53.9%?± 4.7% of the area at risk in controls to 37.5%?± 4.3% without affecting the myocardial markers of oxidative stress. On the other hand, the significant protective effect against reperfusion arrhythmias occurred only in perfused hearts with the dose of DEX of 150?mg·kg(-1), which also tended to limit the incidence of ischaemic arrhythmias. It is concluded that DEX in a narrow dose range can suppress arrhythmias in isolated hearts subjected to I/R, while a higher dose is needed to limit myocardial infarct size in open-chest rats.     

Effects of adaptation to intermittent high altitude hypoxia on ischemic ventricular arrhythmias in rats

We compared the effects of adaptation to intermittent high altitude (IHA) hypoxia of various degree and duration on ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias in rats. The animals were exposed to either relatively moderate hypoxia of 5000 m (4 or 8 h/day, 2-3 or 5-6 weeks) or severe hypoxia of 7000 m (8 h/day, 5-6 weeks). Ventricular arrhythmias induced by coronary artery occlusion were assessed in isolated buffer-perfused hearts or open-chest animals. In the isolated hearts, both antiarrhythmic and proarrhythmic effects were demonstrated depending on the degree and duration of hypoxic exposure. Whereas the adaptation to 5000 m for 4 h/day decreased the total number of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), extending the daily exposure to 8 h and/or increasing the altitude to 7000 m led to opposite effects. On the contrary, the open-chest rats adapted to IHA hypoxia exhibited an increased tolerance to arrhythmias that was even more pronounced at the higher altitude. The distribution of PVCs over the ischemic period was not altered by any protocol of adaptation. It may be concluded that adaptation to IHA hypoxia is associated with enhanced tolerance of the rat heart to ischemic arrhythmias unless its severity exceeds a certain upper limit. The opposite effects of moderate and severe hypoxia on the isolated hearts cannot be explained by differences in the occluded zone size, heart rate or degree of myocardial fibrosis. The proarrhythmic effect of severe hypoxia may be related to a moderate left ventricular hypertrophy (27 %), which was present in rats adapted to 7000 m but not in those adapted to 5000 m. This adverse effect can be overcome by an unknown protective mechanism(s) that is absent in the isolated hearts.     

Programmed electrical stimulation-induced arrhythmias in isolated hearts from adult and senescent rats

In isolated hearts from normal rats, we previously demonstrated an age-related increase of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of the present experiments was to test the possible effect of aging on ventricular arrhythmias induced by programmed electrical stimulation. Experiments were performed in isolated cardiac preparations of 6- and 24-month-old normal Wistar rat hearts. Programmed electrical stimulation (single or double premature stimuli following a stimuli train) was tested in isolated Langendorff perfused hearts during control perfusion, after left anterior descending coronary artery ligature and during global hypoxia. No significant differences were observed between adult and senescent hearts in the incidence of programmed electrical stimulation-induced ventricular arrhythmias during these three different situations. These experiments demonstrate that the cardiac "physiological" aging process is not associated with a greater propensity to programmed electrical stimulation-induced arrhythmias.     

Focal modification of electrical conduction in the heart by viral gene transfer

Modern treatment of cardiac arrhythmias is limited to pharmacotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, or implantable devices. Antiarrhythmic medications suppress arrhythmias, but their systemic effects are often poorly tolerated and their proarrhythmic tendencies increase mortality. Radiofrequency ablation can cure only a limited number of arrhythmias. Implantable devices can be curative for bradyarrhythmias and lifesaving for tachyarrhythmias, but require a lifetime commitment to repeated procedures, are a significant expense, and may lead to severe complications. One possibility is the use of gene therapy as an antiarrhythmic strategy. As an initial attempt to explore this option, we focused on genetic modification of the atrioventricular node. First, we developed an intracoronary perfusion model for gene delivery, building on our previous work in isolated cardiac myocytes and hearts perfused ex vivo. Using this method, we infected porcine hearts with Adbetagal (recombinant adenovirus expressing Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase) or with AdGi (adenovirus encoding the Galphai2 subunit). We hypothesized that excess Galphai2 would mimic the effects of beta-adreneric antagonists, in effect creating a localized beta-blockade. Galphai2 overexpression suppressed baseline atrioventricular conduction and slowed the heart rate during atrial fibrillation without producing complete heart block. In contrast, expression of the reporter gene beta-galactosidase had no electrophysiological effects. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using myocardial gene transfer strategies to treat common arrhythmias.