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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Lethal Effect of Electric Fields on Isolated Ventricular Myocytes

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Author(s):
de Oliveira, Pedro Xavier [1] ; Bassani, Rosana Almada [2] ; Magalhaes Bassani, Jose Wilson [1]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biomed Engn, FEEC, BR-13084971 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Ctr Biomed Engn, BR-13084971 Campinas, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering; v. 55, n. 11, p. 2635-2642, NOV 2008.
Web of Science Citations: 15
Abstract

Defibrillator-type shocks may cause electric and contractile dysfunction. In this study, we determined the relationship between probability of lethal injury and electric field intensity (E) in isolated rat ventricular myocytes, with emphasis on field orientation and stimulus waveform. This relationship was sigmoidal with irreversible injury for E > 50 V/cm. During both threshold and lethal stimulation, cells were twofold more sensitive to the field when it was applied longitudinally (versus transversally) to the cell major axis. For a given E, the estimated maximum variation of transmembrane potential (Delta V-max) was greater for longitudinal stimuli, which might account for the greater sensitivity to the field. Cell death, however, occurred at lower maximum Delta V-max values for transversal shocks. This might be explained by a less steep spatial decay of transmembrane potential predicted for transversal stimulation, which would possibly result in occurrence of electroporation in a larger membrane area. For the same stimulus duration, cells were less sensitive to field-induced injury when shocks were biphasic (versus monophasic). Ours results indicate that, although significant myocyte death may occur in the E range expected during clinical defibrillation, biphasic shocks are less likely to produce irreversible cell injury. (AU)