Name: methods for ecg evaluation of indicators of cardiac risk, and susceptibility to aconitine-induced arrhythmias in rats following status epilepticus
Uploaded: 2011-04-05T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Methods for ECG Evaluation of Indicators of Cardiac Risk, and Susceptibility to Aconitine-induced Arrhythmias in Rats Following Status Epilepticus at JoVE.com

This research was supported by a grant from the Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) to SLB.

1. Materials to Construct
 <ol>
	<li>A jugular vein catheter is constructed from a piece (100 mm) of PE-50 polyethylene tubing, beveled at one end, and then filled with heparin saline (50 U heparin/mL saline).</li>
	<li>The ECG recording electrodes are constructed from two 100 mm lengths of insulated silver wire (30AWG). One end of both wires is stripped and soldered to a microconnector, and the insulation is twisted to form a third wire that is used as ground. Five-mm of insulation is stripped from the distal end of...

<ol>
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Two aspects of the described procedures are of critical importance. Firstly, the rate of aconitine administration to the 
heart must be equivalent across animals. This requires consistent placement of the jugular vein catheter tips relative to the heart, and careful 
adjustment of the infusion rate. The rate of aconitine delivery to the hearts must be equal in order to appropriately evaluate the onset of 
ventricular arrhythmias relative to altered susceptibility. If aconitine delivery varies, then the latency to arrhyt...

methods for ecg evaluation of indicators of cardiac risk, and susceptibility to aconitine-induced arrhythmias in rats following status epilepticus

Lethal cardiac arrhythmias contribute to mortality in a number of pathological conditions. Several parameters obtained from a 
non-invasive, easily obtained electrocardiogram (ECG) are established, well-validated prognostic indicators of cardiac risk in patients suffering 
from a number of cardiomyopathies. Increased heart rate, decreased heart rate variability (HRV), and increased duration and variability of cardiac 
ventricular electrical activity (QT interval) are all indicative of enhanced cardiac risk 1-4. In animal models, it is valuable to compare 
these ECG-derived variables and susceptibility to experimentally induced arrhythmias. Intravenous infusion of the arrhythmogenic agent aconitine has
 been widely used to evaluate susceptibility to arrhythmias in a range of experimental conditions, including animal models of depression 5 and 
 hypertension 6, following exercise 7 and exposure to air pollutants 8, as well as determination of the antiarrhythmic efficacy of pharmacological 
 agents 9,10. 
It should be noted that QT dispersion in humans is a measure of QT interval variation across the full set of leads from a 
standard 12-lead ECG. Consequently, the measure of QT dispersion from the 2-lead ECG in the rat described in this protocol is different than that 
calculated from human ECG records. This represents a limitation in the translation of the data obtained from rodents to human clinical medicine.
Status epilepticus (SE) is a single seizure or series of continuously recurring seizures lasting more than 30 min 
11,12 11,12, and results in mortality in 20% of cases 13. Many individuals survive the SE, but die within 30 days 14,15.
 The mechanism(s) of this delayed mortality is not fully understood. It has been suggested that lethal ventricular arrhythmias contribute to many of these 
 deaths 14-17. In addition to SE, patients experiencing spontaneously recurring seizures, i.e. epilepsy, are at risk of premature 
 sudden and unexpected death associated with epilepsy (SUDEP) 18. As with SE, the precise mechanisms mediating SUDEP are not known. 
 It has been proposed that ventricular abnormalities and resulting arrhythmias make a significant contribution 18-22.
 To investigate the mechanisms of seizure-related cardiac death, and the efficacy of cardioprotective therapies, it is 
 necessary to obtain both ECG-derived indicators of risk and evaluate susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias in animal models of seizure disorders 
 23-25. Here we describe methods for implanting ECG electrodes in the Sprague-Dawley laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus), following SE,
 collection and analysis of ECG recordings, and induction of arrhythmias during iv infusion of aconitine.
 These procedures can be used to directly determine the relationships between ECG-derived measures of cardiac electrical 
 activity and susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias in rat models of seizure disorders, or any pathology associated with increased risk of sudden 
 cardiac death.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Methods for ECG Evaluation of Indicators of Cardiac Risk, and Susceptibility to Aconitine-induced Arrhythmias in Rats Following Status Epilepticus at JoVE.com

Methods for ECG Evaluation of Indicators of Cardiac Risk, and Susceptibility to Aconitine-induced Arrhythmias in Rats Following Status Epilepticus

Techniques for measurement of electrical activity of the heart by electrocardiogram (ECG), and analysis of cardiac risk factors and susceptibility to arrhythmias following status epilepticus (SE) in the rat are described.

Lethal cardiac arrhythmias contribute to mortality in a number of pathological conditions. Several parameters obtained from a 
non-invasive, easily ...

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