Ventricular arrhythmias induced by endothelin-1 or by acute ischemia:: a comparative analysis using three-dimensional mapping

Objectives: To analyze three-dimensional activation patterns of ventricular arrhythmias induced by endothelin-l in comparison with ischemia-induced tachycardias. Methods: Following AV node ablation, sixty pin electrodes containing four bipoles each were inserted into both ventricles of ten foxhounds. Using a computerized mapping system, this would allow to simultaneously record 240 endo-, epi and midmyocardial electrograms for reconstruction of the three-dimensional activation pattern. In five dogs, endothelin-l was infused into the LAD at 60 pmol/min. In another five animals, the LAD was ligated. During the following 40 min, all ventricular arrhythmias were recorded for subsequent analysis. Furthermore, left ventricular conduction times during constant pacing and local effective refractory periods at eight left ventricular sites were determined before and after either intervention. Results: Endothelin-l had no significant effect on conduction time and refractoriness, whereas ligation prolonged both parameters significantly. Endothelin-l as well as ligation induced multiple mono- and polymorphic nonsustained ventricular tachycardias. Endothelin-l-induced arrhythmias were exclusively based on focal mechanisms, whereas during ligation, macroreentrant mechanisms were involved in the maintenance of tachycardias in 39% of episodes. Conclusion: The differences in the effects of endothelin-l and LAD ligation on electrophysiologic properties and the difference in the mechanism of induced ventricular tachycardias support the hypothesis that, apart from vasoconstrictive properties, endothelin-l exerts an intrinsic arrhythmogenic effect. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.