Arrhythmia susceptibility in senescent rat hearts

Cardiovascular disease increases with age as well as alterations of cardiac electrophysiological properties, but a detailed knowledge about changes in cardiac electrophysiology relevant to arrhythmogenesis in the elderly is relatively lacking. The aim of this study was to determine specific age-related changes in electrophysiological properties of the ventricles which can be related to a structural-functional arrhythmogenic substrate. Multiple epicardial electrograms were recorded on the ventricular surface of in vivo control and aged rats, while arrhythmia vulnerability was investigated by premature stimulation protocols. Single or multiple ectopic beats and sustained ventricular arrhythmias were frequently induced in aged but not in control hearts. Abnormal ventricular activation patterns during sinus rhythm and unchanged conduction velocity during point stimulation in aged hearts suggest the occurrence of impaired impulse conduction through the distal Purkinje system that might create a potential reentry substrate.