In an established rat model of volume-overload hear failure we have followed, in collaboration with the researchers from the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, changes in electrophysiological and molecular parameters in correlation with severity of cardiac failure. Changes in select parameters, specifically slowing of conduction velocity (figure 1) and decreased expression of connexin43 and autonomic innervation (figure 2) showed correlation with the heart weight as a proxy of severity of cardiac failure. These changes help explain the occurrence of arrhythmias in this subgroup, leading to sudden cardiac death. Some of these parameters could present new prognostic markers of sudden cardiac death in heart failure patients.

Sedmera, David - Neckář, Jan - Beneš Jr., Jiří - Pospíšilová, J. - Petrák, J. - Sedláček, K. - Melenovský, V. Changes in Myocardial Composition and Conduction Properties in Rat Heart Failure Model Induced by Chronic Volume Overload . Frontiers in physiology. 2016, roč. 7, Aug 25, p. 367 . IF = 4.031