Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are two clinical entities that often coincide. Our aim was to establish the influence of concomitant high ventricular rate and consequent development of CHF on electrical remodeling and dilation during atrial tachycardia.
Methods and results: A total of 14 goats was studied. Five goats were subjected to 3:1 AV pacing (A-paced group, atrial rate 240 beats/min, ventricular rate 80 beats/min). Nine goats were subjected to rapid 1:1 AV pacing (AV-paced group, atrial and ventricular rates 240 beats/min). During 4 weeks, right atrial (RA) and left ventricular (LV) diameters were measured during sinus rhythm. Atrial effective refractory periods (AERP) and inducibility of AF were assessed at three basic cycle lengths (BCL). After 4 weeks of rapid AV pacing, RA and LV diameters had increased to 151% and 113% of baseline, whereas after rapid atrial pacing alone, these parameters were unchanged. Right AERP (157+/-10 msec vs 144+/-16 msec at baseline with BCL of 400 msec in the A-paced and AV-paced group, respectively) initially decreased in both groups, reaching minimum values within 1 week. Subsequently, AERP partially recovered in AV-paced goats, whereas AERP remained short in A-paced goats (79+/-7 msec vs 102+/-12 msec after 4 weeks; P < 0.05). Left AERP demonstrated a similar time course. Inducibility of AF increased in both groups and reached a maximum during the first week in both groups, being 20% and 48% in the A-paced and AV-paced group, respectively.
Conclusion: Nature and time course of atrial electrical remodeling and dilation during atrial tachycardia are influenced by concurrent high ventricular rate and consequent development of CHF.