Original Article


Effect of carvedilol on atrial remodeling in canine model of atrial fibrillation

Jun Kishihara, Shinichi Niwano, Hiroe Niwano, Yuya Aoyama, Akira Satoh, Jun Oikawa, Michiro Kiryu, Hidehira Fukaya, Yoshihiko Masaki, Hideaki Tamaki, Tohru Izumi, Junya Ako

Abstract

Aims: We evaluated the effect of carvedilol, a beta-blocker with anti-oxidative action, against the atrial fibrillation (AF) inducibility, the development of atrial remodeling and the oxidative stress markers in a canine AF model.
Methods and results: AF model was produced by performing 6-week rapid atrial stimulation in 15 dogs. The animals were divided into the following three groups: (I) pacing + carvedilol group (n=5); (II) pacing control group (n=5); and (III) non-pacing group (n=5). AF inducibility was gradually increased along the time course in the pacing control group. In the pacing + carvedilol group, the AF inducibility was suppressed especially in the latter phase of protocol in comparison with the pacing control group. Although carvedilol has beta-blocking effect, pacing control and pacing + carvedilol groups did not exhibit difference in the heart rate (177±13 vs. 155±13 bpm, P=0.08). On 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), dihydroethidium and dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining, enhanced oxidative stress was observed in the atrial tissue in the pacing control, but not in the pacing + carvedilol group.
Conclusions: Carvedilol suppressed AF inducibility and oxidative stress in the canine AF model.

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